A Parallel Romance
by Miss Romance-Lover
Summary: A car accident leads to Gabriella Montez waking up five years in the past. Trying to make sense of this new 'reality', she certainly doesn't expect to fall in love along the way. NOW COMPLETE!
1. The Accident

**This is my new story. If you like the sound of it, then please review so I know whether to continue! Here is chapter one. Throughout the story, italics will represent Gabriella's personal thoughts. Anyway, I hope you like it :)**

A Parallel Romance

_Boston, USA, October 2010_

"Caramel latte to go?" asked twenty-one year old Gabriella Montez as her eyes scanned the crowd of customers for the lady whose order she had ready. She smiled as the customer in question returned to the counter to collect her drink. Gabriella enjoyed her job working in her local coffee shop in Boston, which she had been doing for the past year. The part time hours she worked each week were also helping to put her through law school.

Glancing at the clock, she noticed that there were only five minutes left of her shift. She began to prepare the next customer's order, feeling exhausted and glad to be going home soon. Although Gabriella truly loved the constant flow of customers and the hustle and bustle that was involved in the running of a coffee shop; there were always those days where she longed for the end of the day to come. Not that she had anyone to go home to. She was currently single, and had been for almost a year. Gabriella's first and only boyfriend so far had treated her badly, leaving her wondering if she would be able to trust another man again. His name was Scott, and they had dated for two years in college until he had cheated on her, humiliating her beyond any other shred of hurt she had ever felt before.

Since then, Gabriella had poured every moment of her time into working hard in her studies, and earning the money to pay for them. She had no time for meeting someone new anyway, whether she wanted to or not. The truth was, she did want to. But she knew it was wasn't going to be easy for her. Would she be able to let herself become close to a guy again, when to her, it still seemed a little too soon?

By the time she had served two more customers, it was time for her to go home. Breathing a sigh of relief, Gabriella hung up her apron and said good night to her colleagues, before heading out into the cold night air. She only wished that the evening ahead could be full of relaxation for her. Unfortunately, she was swamped with work to do. Her work-load had been extremely heavy-going since beginning law school earlier that year, and she would be lying if she said that she wasn't feeling the strain.

She finally arrived home after picking up a take-out of Chinese food for dinner on the way. And as predicted, the remainder of the evening consisted of typing, researching, and reading. Gabriella worked long into the night. Which was why, the next morning, she found herself running late for her Saturday shift at work. Late enough to require a mad dash to even attempt to get there on time.

She usually walked to work, as it wasn't far from her apartment. But today her routine leisurely stroll was replaced by a brisk run. Eventually she reached the road on which the coffee shop could be found, and went to cross the street to get to it. She quickly looked to make sure there was no oncoming traffic, then started to make a run for it.

But Gabriella didn't notice a car turning hastily into the road. The driver was going far too fast to realise that there was a pedestrian ahead of him. By the time she turned her head to the left, there was simply no time for her to move. Before she even knew what was happening, the car plunged into her, and she felt herself free-falling into the air. She did not, however, feel the force as her body hit the ground, or hear the screams of horrified onlookers.

_**.HSM.**_

Ground. Cold, wet ground was all that Gabriella could feel as she tried to move. She remembered the car, the brief sensations of pain in her hip as it had hit her; and she remembered falling through the air. But she had no sense of time or any idea how long it had been since. As she managed to move one arm towards the rest of her body, she realised that she couldn't feel any pain whatsoever. _Maybe I'm in the hospital,_ she thought._ I must be on a heavy dose of pain medication or something._

"Hey, are you okay there?" a male voice called out, and Gabriella slowly opened her eyes, blinking in the daylight. Taking in her surroundings, she saw that she wasn't in the hospital, but still in the street. Only, this was a street she didn't recognise. She barely had a second to process this fact, however, as the man to whom the voice belonged seemed to be steadily approaching her. And all of a sudden she was looking up into a pair of bright blue eyes, as he bent down to look at her.

"I...I was in a car accident..." Gabriella began as she managed to sit up. It was then that she noticed that there didn't appear to be scratch on her. "At least, I thought I was," she added as the man gave her a look of confusion – obviously thinking that she must have imagined any such accident. _Maybe I was having some kind of nightmare daydream? _"I guess I'm fine. Thank you for stopping to help me," she told the man, slowly getting to her feet. He smiled and nodded in return, but made no effort to walk away. Something inside her made her smile back at him warmly, and she felt compelled to introduce herself. "I'm Gabriella, by the way." His grin seemed to widen and he held out his hand for her to shake, which she took immediately. "Troy," he replied.

After a moment, Gabriella shook herself out of her daze. "Well, it was nice meeting you. I'd better go, I'm supposed to be at work right now," she said, wondering how late she was. But she froze when she remembered that she didn't know what street she was on. In fact, everywhere she turned she saw unfamiliar houses and shops. "Where...where am I?" she asked, trying not to panic. Troy told her the name of the street they were standing on, and this left her even more confused. Apparently, they were definitely on the same road as her workplace. So why didn't she recognise anything around her?

"I don't understand...I work at a coffee shop round here," she told him anxiously, giving him the name. Troy shook his head apologetically. "There are quite a few coffee places around here, but I've never heard of that one, I'm afraid," he replied. _What's going on?_ she thought frantically. Suddenly, another thought occurred to her. "What's the date?" she asked patiently. "October 15th," Troy answered.

_Well, the date makes sense. Maybe I'm not going completely crazy. _"Two-thousand and five," was what she heard next. _Wait a minute...Two-thousand and what?_ _The last I knew, it was most definitely two-thousand __and ten. Okay, I take it back. I _am _going_ _completely crazy..._

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	2. Playing Along

**Thanks for reviewing! Here's the second chapter, I hope you like it! :)**

_Boston, USA, October 2005_

Gabriella struggled to find the words to reply. What she had just heard wasn't even possible. Then, she decided that she must have misheard. "I'm sorry, what year did you say it was?" she asked Troy. He watched her closely, wondering what had happened to make this young women so confused. "Two-thousand and five," he replied slowly and clearly. At this point, Gabriella thought she might faint. Instead, she took a couple of deep breaths, regained her composure as quickly as she could, and spoke again.

"No, it's not. It can't be! In two-thousand and five I was sixteen!" she exclaimed in disbelief. Troy's eyes widened at this statement, and he didn't know what to say back at first. Finally, he looked her in the eye and said, "I think you need to get yourself checked out, you might have concussion or something. If you like, I can drive you to the hospital?" Gabriella narrowed her eyes. There was nothing physically wrong with her; she was sure she would be able to tell if she had some kind of head injury. If she went to the hospital, she would just be sent straight to the psychiatric unit as the girl who didn't know what year it was.

"No...really, there's nothing wrong with me. But thank you anyway, for showing concern," she replied with a weak smile. Knowing there was probably nothing more he could do to help someone who was still a perfect stranger to him, Troy nodded and began to walk away. But despite the odd situation she was in, Gabriella found herself feeling sorry that she may never see this man again. There was something about him, although she hadn't yet worked out what. "Thanks again..." she called out as she watched him go.

Now she didn't know what she was going to do. The only thing she could do was walk. So, she crossed the street and walked alongside the unfamiliar shops. Then she stopped when she realised she was in front of a coffee house. Of course, it wasn't her one; but looking inside, it looked cosy and inviting. Gabriella decided to go in, sit down and gather her thoughts. Once she found a table, she took off her jacket, and as she set it down over her chair, she noticed for the first time that she had never seen it before. If only that was her only worry.

"Hey, are you the new girl? You're late," said an angry female voice from behind the counter. Gabriella looked up and realised that the women was looking at her. "Me?" she asked. "I don't..." but she stopped short when she looked down at her clothes upon instinct. She was dressed in a uniform, and emblazoned on it was the logo of the very same place she was standing in. _Now I'm late for a job I don't even know about?_ she thought in defeat. _I guess I might as well play along while I figure all of this out._

"Um...right, yes, sorry I'm late," she replied as the women who she assumed was the manager handed her an apron. She took it and made her way behind the counter. At least she already knew how to make coffee. Whatever this strange existence was; it seemed so far that the only thing different about Gabriella's life was the date. "Well, just don't let it happen again," the woman replied firmly. "I'm your manager, Anna."

Gabriella smiled and introduced herself in response. Anna then quickly retreated into the back, and returned with a young man close behind her. She didn't hear Gabriella let out a surprised gasp at who the man was. "And this is who you're going to be working with. This is Troy. Troy, this is our newest recruit, her name is..."

"Gabriella. We've met," Troy finished with a friendly smile for his new colleague. She smiled back warmly, thinking that maybe playing along might just be a little more bearable than she first thought. Not that the fact that she had been plunged into another reality wasn't still weighing heavily on her mind. Anna shrugged off the discovery that the two had already met, and left them to it for a few minutes while she went to serve a customer. "So you're feeling better?" Troy asked politely.

Gabriella nodded. "Yes, thanks," was all she could think of to say. He didn't say any more on the subject of her health, fortunately for her. "Anyway, I didn't even know Anna was hiring anyone. How did you hear about the job?" Troy asked curiously. _Now there's a question... _"It's a long story, I won't bore you with it," she answered.

Troy smiled and, upon seeing a small queue forming in front of the counter, walked over to help with serving customers. Gabriella watched the banter going on between the customers and the staff, noting how similar it was to the atmosphere of her own place of work. Which was where she should be now. She wasn't supposed to be here. She belonged in two-thousand and ten. There were so many questions going through her mind. Was her sixteen-year-old self out there somewhere in this alternate reality? Or was she dreaming all of this? Was she dead in her own time only to be sent here?

Gabriella suddenly felt a throbbing pain in her head. At first she thought it was from thinking of too many possibilities at once. But then she began to wonder whether the sensation was some kind of connection to her physical state back home. The pain slowly subsided after about half a minute. It felt as though her head had come into contact with something hard, which made her think of the concrete she must have landed on in the road after the car had hit her.

The situation as she knew it was this: she was either injured and unconscious; or dead. Meanwhile, she had woken up in a past reality with a job, a strict manager and a colleague; the latter of whom seemed so kind, friendly and warm that Gabriella almost wanted this to be real. But it couldn't be. _Could it?_

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**Next chapter will see Gabriella get to know Troy a little better and learn more about him. So much so that she is tempted to share her secret with him. But will she?**


	3. Evening Chat

**Thank you for reading, favouriting and reviewing so far! Enjoy chapter three :)**

Gabriella had just finished working her first day at her 'new job' and was now sitting at one of the tables, nursing a cup of coffee. What else was there for her to do? Even if she had a home here, she didn't know where it was; or how on earth she was going to find out. That is, if this place she had found herself in was even on earth. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice at first when Troy sat himself down in the seat opposite her, having also just finished his shift for the day.

"Not going home?" he asked as she looked up at him. She shook her head, then had to remind herself not to blurt out the truth. Despite the fact that Troy was easy to talk to – one thing she had learnt about him already – Gabriella wasn't naïve enough to think that he would understand what was really going on in her mind. So, she gave him no spoken answer, and took a sip of her drink. "So, Anna told me that your hours here are part time. Are you a student?" he asked conversationally. She nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a law student. What about you?" she replied curiously. He smiled, and told her, "I'm working my way through medical school. Wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. So I bet you're swamped with work too, right?" Gabriella nodded again, giving him an understanding smile. "Oh yeah," she answered. "I'm starting to worry about my total lack of social life these days." She grinned showing that she was joking, making Troy chuckle. "Finally, someone who gets it! All my friends are working full time and partying at weekends, and they are forever nagging me to loosen up and have some fun. They just don't understand that I have to work this job _and _study – endlessly."

"I know exactly what you mean," Gabriella said, also glad to talk to someone who was feeling just as strained as herself. Although, it had taken waking up in a strange world after a car accident for her to find that person. Looking back up at Troy, she saw that he was staring at her intently. Then he voiced his thoughts aloud to her. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what happened to you this morning? I only found you after you collapsed, so I don't know what caused it. You mentioned something about a car accident?"

Gabriella was silent for a few long moments. _What am I supposed to say? 'Actually, the car accident doesn't happen for five more years'?_ But Troy was still looking at her, waiting for an answer. "Well, I must've just...blacked out. I don't really remember what happened, to be honest. But I must have imagined an accident, otherwise I'd have some scratches to prove it," she finished with a small laugh, hoping he wouldn't press her any further. Luckily, he didn't. He simply nodded. If he had been more than just an acquaintance, he might have tried to persuade her to go to the doctor over the 'blackout'. But they had only known each other for a day, and Troy knew it wasn't his place. Yet there was something mysterious and intriguing about this girl. He hoped that one day he would get the chance to find out what that something was.

She appreciated how polite he was being. But by not asking too many questions, it only made Gabriella want to confide in him. She knew she couldn't. Maybe if she was stuck here for long enough, and they really got to know each other, she could tell him eventually. But the idea of explaining everything to him now wasn't the brightest of plans. She decided a quick change of subject would be best. Then she thought of a way she might be able to find out where she supposedly lived. "Oh!" she exclaimed, hoping Troy would believe what she was about to tell him. "Is Anna still here? It just occurred to me that I forgot to put down all of my details on my application form. I wonder if I can finish it now, before I go..."

Troy knew that their manager had already left, but smiled at Gabriella anyway. "Anna had to leave, she asked me to lock up as she had to be somewhere. But I know where the forms are kept – she won't mind if I go and find it for you," he replied as he got up from his seat and headed to the back room. Gabriella only hoped that 'her' address would be on the form; otherwise she had no idea where she would be sleeping tonight. Troy returned minutes later, a white sheet of paper in his hand. "Here you go. I'll give you a minute, I'm sure you don't want me hovering nearby with all your personal information on show!" he joked as he went to stand by the counter.

Gabriella was glad for the few moments alone, as it would allow her to copy down the address from the form. Reading the information on it was odd for her. There was her name – nothing had changed with that. But the other details meant nothing to her. She didn't even recognise the address; despite the fact that she knew Boston, and that's where she was – whatever the year. Nevertheless, she wrote it down, along with the phone number, then signalled to Troy that she was done. "Thanks, it's all finished now," she said as he returned to the table and took the form from her. "I'd better get going, time to hit the books," she told him with a smile. Although they had their student lives in common; it suddenly occurred to Gabriella that she may not even be a student in this existence. Her application form mentioned nothing of any other qualifications, either.

"Good luck with that, I'll most probably be doing the same," Troy replied, "goodnight." They shared a smile at the similarities between them, before Gabriella wished him goodnight in return, and left the shop. She could have happily stayed in there all night talking; but now she had a home to search for. She only hoped it wasn't too far.

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	4. A Different Person?

**Thanks for your reviews, they make my day! Here is chapter four, enjoy :)**

Slowly opening her eyes, Gabriella blinked in confusion when she took in her surroundings. This wasn't home. She couldn't work out where she was. Then suddenly, it dawned on her. _The accident_. She had gone to bed the night before hoping that she would wake up back in her own time. Back in her real life in two-thousand and ten. Now as she looked around her, it seemed clear that she was destined to be in this strange universe for a while yet.

Despite her wish to return to her normal life, Gabriella hadn't been able to stop another thought occupying her mind as she had left the coffee shop. How much she had enjoyed Troy's company. She felt completely at ease around him; which gave her some sense of comfort given that she was somewhere – _somewhen -_ that certainly did _not _put her at ease. Today, however, she knew she would be back to feeling lost and confused. While Troy had told her that he was going to be working again today, Anna had informed Gabriella of her official workdays. And today wasn't one of them. So she wouldn't be seeing Troy. Which left her with only one option: to try and find out who she really was in this place.

Even though she had been told that the year was two-thousand and five; Gabriella wasn't entirely convinced that she had simply gone back in time five years. She kept wondering if this was real. _Does this world really exist? Are Troy and Anna real? _She wanted this to be real, because if it wasn't, then two other things would instead be true. One was that she might just be crazy like she had initially feared. The other was that Troy might just be a figment of her imagination. She needed to hold onto the comforting thought that there really was a man out there that listened, in the way that Troy had done for her. A man who, after knowing him for just one day, she already knew was kind and decent. Nothing like those she had met before.

Sitting up on the bed, Gabriella once again surveyed the room she was in. It had taken her a good hour to find the address that, according to her application form, her apartment resided at. It was not decorated according to her taste, despite apparently being _hers_. However, that was the least of her worries. Although it did indicate that the person she seemed to be here was completely different to who she really was. She sighed, opening the curtains, then turned to the large wardrobe that sat in the corner of the room.

It was hard to ignore how surreal it felt as she opened the wardrobe door and saw that it was full to the brim with unrecognisable clothes. At first, she wasn't sure whether it was simply the era that affected the style of the clothes. But as Gabriella pulled out different dresses and skirts, she felt more and more detached from her true self. This definitely wasn't her style. The outfits in her hands were so far from her taste that she never gave a second glance to anything resembling them while shopping. Yes, she wore dresses and skirts occasionally; but these ones were so short that they would barely cover her legs. _Who on earth am I in this universe? _

Rifling through the rest of the clothes, she finally found something decent to wear. And half an hour later, Gabriella was outside, hailing a taxi to take her into the city. The first place she could think of to go to was the local library. She practically lived in the library once she had started her studies; and loved to read regardless. So she had decided to find out if she was a member there in the here and now. The cab pulled up and she got out, paid the driver and walked away. She found the library easily. Whether this was real or not, this was still her home town, and some things appeared not to have changed.

She had originally planned to go straight to the front desk upon entering the library. But she felt drawn to the bookshelves, filled with so many books that gave her a much needed sense of familiarity. Leafing through the selections, she was just about to pick up one of her favourites when she heard a voice nearby address her. "Taking a break from studying?" Gabriella turned around and found herself smiling when she came face to face with Troy. He was grinning himself, clearly as pleased to see her as she was to see him. "Something like that," she replied. "What about you? I thought you were working today?"

"Not for a couple of hours yet," he replied. "Had to get a few books out for an assignment. So, how's it going?" Gabriella didn't know how to answer that question. She was surprised at how normal she was behaving, going about life as though everything was fine. Maybe she was in shock. It had only been a day. Then she wondered if the reason her sanity had remained intact for this long was because of the man standing in front of her. Could someone who was not of sound mind honestly conjure up this person? He was far too real, far too normal not to exist.

"Fine, thanks. Just got a lot of work to get through," she replied. Her statement was true; she _did _have a lot of work to do. Just not here. At least, not that she knew of. Troy nodded in response, as if telling her that he knew the feeling. "Same here. _So _much to do," he told her. "I'm surprised I've not seen you in here before, actually. I'm always here." Before they could continue their conversation, Troy and Gabriella heard someone loudly clearing their throat behind them. Seeing that it was an older lady with a badge, both assumed they were about to be sternly criticised for talking too loudly, as per librarian customs. Instead, the woman tapped Gabriella on the shoulder and addressed her sharply.

"What are you doing in here? I told you the last time, you're banned from this building. Now please leave," she said firmly. Troy looked on in surprise. Gabriella did not seem like the type of person to get herself banned from a library. The woman repeated her order for her to leave, then walked away, ready to keep a watchful eye out. It was as if she expected Gabriella to react in the wrong way.

"I...I guess I'd better go," Gabriella said before Troy had a chance to speak. Swiftly she ran, making her way out of the building until she was standing on the street, trying to process what had just happened. It made no sense to her. She knew exactly what type of person she, Gabriella Montez was. She had never done anything that could provoke reactions like that before. Never.

Walking away from the building, she was so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to notice a teenage boy about to pass her. As she bumped into him, she looked up at his face, ready to apologise, and gasped at who was staring back at her. Now she knew that this place was real.

**Who do you think the mystery boy is? Next chapter will reveal all.**

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	5. Making Sense

**Thank you for reading this story so far. I hope the way I am describing the characters within the time differences is making sense to you! Here is chapter five :)**

"Scott?" Gabriella blurted out before she could stop herself. The boy in front of her stepped back, bewildered at how this stranger knew his name. "Do I know you?" he asked as she realised what she had said and quickly put a hand to her mouth. This was definitely her ex-boyfriend. But he didn't know who she was yet. This was two-thousand and five, and he was only sixteen.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were...someone else," she replied before he could question her anymore. She didn't stay to see his reaction, walking away without another word. Gabriella knew that if she had to spend a minute longer with Scott, all the old feelings about what had happened between them would resurface. Which, it had to be said, wouldn't be fair on him when the Scott she had just encountered hadn't even dated her yet. Just as she was deciding to put all thoughts of him aside, something else came to her that made her stop dead in her tracks. _Oh my God..._

Seeing Scott at sixteen had confirmed for her that the people in this world were real. And along with that realisation, suddenly Gabriella knew that what had just happened in the library _was _explainable after all. She had been sixteen herself the last time she had seen the year two-thousand and five. And now she recalled an incident that had occurred in the very same library during her high school years. She had been bullied terribly in those days, and there was one group of boys in particular who liked to torture her every chance they got. One day, Gabriella had been scouring the books in the library when they had shown up and let off a stink bomb right next to her, then disappeared as quick as they had come in; leaving her to take the blame. Despite her protests, the librarian on duty had refused to believe that she wasn't the culprit, and had threatened to contact her mother unless she left the premises.

She hadn't known that she had actually been banned at the time, because shortly after the incident she and her mother had moved away. It was only upon starting college that she had returned to live in her home town - and by then, she assumed that the whole thing had been forgotten, because she had had no further problems with the library - until now. Gabriella had never seen the librarian she had just encountered before; which could only mean that all of the library staff had been given her name and description in order to ensure that she was kept out of the library. Obviously they hadn't noticed that she had aged five years, and had simply mistaken her for the teenage girl she once was.

Gabriella remembered that she and her mother had moved away from Boston in the summer of two-thousand and five – meaning that if she and her younger self could actually co-exist at the same time, then the 'other' her was currently in California. She was a little relieved that being thrown out of the library wasn't the result of something more sinister. When she had woken up in an apartment that didn't relate to her at all, and seen clothing that just wasn't _her_; she had wondered whether she was here as herself or as someone else. In her head and her heart, she was just twenty-one year old Gabriella Montez. But who was she supposed to be here?

She decided she had done enough for today. Everything was so confusing. All she could do was make her way back to the apartment that was now her 'home'. She dug into her coat pocket for her key as she approached it, realising that she had walked all the way back there in the time it had taken to think things over. Gabriella paused to look at the key for a moment. The night before, she had put the unfamiliar coat back on upon leaving the coffee shop, and had then found the key sitting in its pocket, as if it was waiting for her. It was as though a whole other life had been set up for her in this universe. She looked up at the building as she stood outside it. She didn't really want to be in there, all alone and trying to figure out if she had a purpose here. She wanted to be somewhere that felt familiar to her.

She began to run until she reached the coffee shop. She wasn't sure whether it was the atmosphere she craved; or just the idea of seeing Troy again. That is, if he hadn't been scared away by the librarian's earlier outburst. She looked through the window and saw that he was behind the counter, serving customers as the queue got busier. Gabriella went inside and joined the queue. It was twenty minutes before she got served; but it made no difference to her. She had nothing else to do. "Hey, Gabriella," Troy greeted with the smile that she was growing pleasantly used to. "What can I get you?"

"Hi. I'll just have a latte, please," she replied, smiling back. "Oh, by the way, about what happened earlier..." She was cut off from her explanation when Troy held up a hand to signal her to stop. "Hey, it's none of my business, you don't have to explain yourself to me," he told her.

Gabriella found it refreshing that he was being so kind and decent, rather than attempting to pry. Either that, or he wasn't actually interested anyway. Nevertheless, she still didn't want him to think that she was some kind of delinquent. "Thank you for saying that. But really, it was just a misunderstanding." Troy nodded, then gestured for her to sit down while he made her drink. She had been the last in the rush of customers, so he now had time to bring her drink over for her. As he brought over her latte, he called to Anna, who was also behind the counter. "I'm just going to take my break now, if that's alright?" Anna replied that this was fine, and Gabriella was surprised when Troy set her drink down in front of her, then sat down at her table.

"I just wanted to ask you something," he stated, and she sat in silence, waiting for him to continue. "I was wondering if you wanted to do something tomorrow, after we finish here?" he asked, clearly a little nervous. Troy and Gabriella would be working on their own together for the first time the following day, and their shift would finish in the evening. He looked up at her, hoping she would say yes.

As their eyes met, Gabriella beamed at him, feeling butterflies in her stomach for the first time in almost a year. "I'd love to," she replied happily. Now, for the first time since waking up in this strange world, something made sense to her.

**Hope you liked it! **

**Next chapter, Troy and Gabriella have their first date...**

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	6. First Date

**Hey all! A longer chapter for you, which focuses more on Troy and Gabriella rather than the time element. Hope you enjoy it :)**

Two things were on Gabriella's mind as she woke up the following morning. The first thing was again realising that she wasn't back where she belonged yet. She was still in a strange apartment, in a strange version of her home town – in the wrong year. The second thing that was on her mind actually overruled the first. Because it wasn't a case of 'what' she was thinking about. It was who. She was thinking about Troy. She hadn't thought she would be able to feel this way again after what Scott had put her through. But when Troy smiled at her, Gabriella couldn't tear her eyes away from him. Yet she had only known him for two days.

She wondered if Troy's invitation for the evening was to be considered a date. Gabriella had never been on a real date before. Having met her ex-boyfriend while at college, they had simply become friends as part of a group, and later became an item as they got to know each other better. But Scott had never taken her out on an actual date; and Gabriella had never been bothered by it, thinking that they were getting on fine. Until the day she found out that he had been seeing another girl. For all she knew, he had been taking her out on regular dates instead. It was on that day that she had realised: Scott had never made an effort. He had never made her feel special. And since then, although she hadn't met anyone else; all she had wanted was someone to look after her. Someone to love her.

Gabriella got up and began to get ready for work. Whether tonight was a date or not, she was looking forward to spending time with Troy. She felt as though she had finally found someone she could really fall for. But the fact remained; this place wasn't _her _reality. She didn't know how long she would be here for. This felt like a dream from which she could wake up any minute. And if Troy was going to be a part of this 'dream', then she wanted to make the most of it.

_**.HSM.**_

"Okay, so it was a large, double shot cappuccino; a small, single shot latte, and a double espresso?" Gabriella asked the customer as she handed out the drinks, checking that she had got the order right. The man in front of her smirked slightly, before replying. "Well, actually..." Gabriella took a deep breath, thinking that he was going to tell her she'd got it all wrong. But she sighed in exasperation when he finished, "I ordered ten cappuccinos!" The man let out a loud chuckle at his 'joke', took his drinks and walked away.

"Do these guys really think they're funny?" Gabriella asked as she turned to Troy. That was the third customer she had served that day who had made a wisecrack, and it was getting old very fast. She was used to these types of customers anyway, but it aggravated her even more because of the situation she was in. She couldn't help but feel that if this _was _a dream; then why would her sub-conscious re-create one of the most irritating aspects of her life? "Believe me, there have been worse customers," Troy replied with a grin. There was only an hour left in their shift, and this was the first quiet moment of the day so far. The place had been packed all day. Now they finally had time to catch up on the daily cleaning jobs.

Troy and Gabriella talked as they got on with their tasks, serving the occasional customer in between. Eventually the discussion moved onto their plans for the evening. "So, are we still okay for tonight?" Troy asked, a trace of nerves evident in his voice. Gabriella, just as nervous, glanced up at him shyly. "Definitely," she replied.

"Great! Then it's a date," he said with a grin, before heading over to serve an approaching customer. Gabriella felt a tingle of excitement at Troy's response. _It's a date!_ she thought happily. Minutes later, he returned. "So, what would you like to do?" he asked, still thinking about their date. She grinned at him, a playful look in her eye. "Well, I was thinking about cleaning the coffee machine, but we still have a while yet..." Troy rolled his eyes, but couldn't help chuckling.

"Haha," he replied. "Seriously, though, what do you want to do tonight?" Gabriella was silent for a few moments. She didn't know what to suggest. Then she decided to be brave and tell him the truth. Well, not the 'waking up on another planet' truth, obviously. "Well...actually, I've never been on a date before, so..." she trailed off and looked down, embarrassed at her admission. Troy looked at her in complete surprise.

"Really? That's...very hard to believe, I have to say," he replied sincerely. Gabriella blushed at his compliment, then elaborated. "I did have a boyfriend, but he never took me out. We got together through friends. He didn't treat me very well, anyway." She didn't know why she was telling him all this. It wasn't something anyone would want to disclose on a first date; let alone beforehand. But Troy was so easy to talk to. "I'm sorry to hear that," he told her. "Hey, seen as we'll be closing soon, I'll finish up with the cleaning out here. Would you mind loading all these plates and cups in the dishwasher out back?" Gabriella was a little confused at the abrupt change of subject. Had she scared him off with the mention of her past relationship? Despite the worry, she answered his question with a smile. "Sure, no problem. I'll clean up out there while I'm at it."

"Thanks," he replied, returning her smile. As Gabriella made her way out the back, Troy set to work. A plan had formulated in his mind after hearing Gabriella's admission. So he quickly finished tidying the front of the shop, before turning his attention to one of the tables. Half an hour later, he was finished, and their shift was officially over. He went to change the sign on the door to 'closed', then stood by the counter and watched as Gabriella came through from the kitchen. "Okay, I think we're all done..." she began, but stopped short when she looked out into the middle of the shop. "What the..." She looked back at Troy, who was smiling widely at her reaction.

The table in the centre of the room had been decked out with candles, which had been lit and placed in the middle. Troy had turned the lights out so that the only light in the room was coming from the candles. Gabriella continued to stare straight ahead, still speechless at the sight before her. Finally, Troy broke the silence. "I thought you deserved a traditional first date," he explained as he took her hand and led her to the table. Gabriella was stunned by it all; he even pulled a chair out for her to sit down, before seating himself in the one across from her.

"Wow. I can't believe you did this for me. Thank you so much," she told him. It really was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for her. She fought back a lone tear that had formed out of pure, overwhelmed amazement. "You're welcome," Troy replied. "Sorry I didn't have time to organise some food, but I do have another plan for later."

Gabriella shook her head in response. "Troy, really, don't even worry about it. This night is already great just the way it is," she said, smiling warmly at him. He simply winked at her and said nothing more on the subject. Instead, they began to exchange stories, finding out more and more about each other as the time went on. Troy revealed that he had decided to become a doctor after seeing how fulfilling the profession could be, having spent time in hospital for a knee injury. He had obtained the injury playing basketball for his high school team, of which he had been captain. Gabriella told him about her father's death when she was ten, as well as how she had always been labelled the 'brainiac' at school.

Before they knew it, two hours had passed. Suddenly Troy stood up, collected both of their coats from the back and announced that it was time for the next part of their date. He blew out the candles, quickly cleared them away, and then opened the door for Gabriella. As they walked outside, she decided not to question where they were going, and to just enjoy the rest of the evening. So far it had been so much more than she would've dared hope for. Minutes later, Troy stopped in front of a pizza parlour. "So, do you like pizza?" he asked, fully prepared to walk on and find another restaurant if her answer was a no.

"I love pizza," she replied and they entered the parlour. Troy let Gabriella choose the flavour she wanted, and as she said her choice aloud, he finished her sentence for her. "That's _my_ favourite!" he stated in surprise. She grinned at him. She hadn't met anyone before who shared her exact taste in pizza. "Mine too," she told him. They ordered a large pizza to share, then sat down to wait for it. Still smiling over what they had just discovered they had in common, they looked into each other's eyes. Gabriella wondered if this was what was meant by the phrase 'out of this world'. Because that's how she would have described this date. The phrase seemed fitting, given the circumstances. But it was ironic. An accident may have taken her away from all she knew, including her life. Yet in this moment, she felt more alive than she had in a long time.

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**Thank you**


	7. First Kiss

**Once again, thank you for the reviews! Here is chapter seven :) **

Gabriella had been in this 'other world' for two weeks now. She still had no idea what was really going on. It felt real, this existence. Every part of it seemed real to her now. But what was going on in two-thousand and ten? Was she even alive there? Was she in a coma? Or in fact, had the accident even really occurred? Everyday as she awoke to this life, she still questioned whether this was just an extraordinary dream. Because it certainly hadn't been a nightmare so far. Something had happened to her here. And it had awakened her to feelings she never knew she could have.

Today being one of her days off, Gabriella had only just got up. She was about to make herself some breakfast when she heard the buzzer sound. She pushed the button on the intercom and spoke into it. "Hello?" Then she heard the voice of the person who was always on her mind, and a smile graced her lips. "Hey, Gabi, it's me," Troy said cheerfully. She greeted him happily, inviting him to come up to her apartment. "Hey Troy," she said as she opened the door. He smiled softly at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

They had now been on quite a few dates, but had yet to share their first real kiss. It was clear to both of them that they felt the same way about each other. They saw it every time they looked into each other's eyes. So they had been taking things slowly; with the knowledge that they were onto something special. "So, do you have any plans for today?" he asked as she led him inside to sit down. She shook her head. "No, nothing as yet," she replied. "You're not working today either?"

He grinned at her. "Nope. So, you feel like doing something?" Gabriella nodded immediately. She loved his spontaneity. In the few weeks that she and Troy had known each other, he had surprised her several times like this, and they always ended up having a great time together. "Absolutely. What did you have in mind?" she asked.

"Well, how about I cook you some lunch back at my place?" he suggested, surprising her yet again. She smiled, then nudged him playfully. "You can cook?" she asked jokingly. Troy gasped in mock surprise himself. "Hey, why is that such a shock to you? I make a great panini at the shop, never had any complaints yet," he told her.

Gabriella giggled at his response. "Troy, the only thing you have to do with those paninis – which are pre-prepared as you well know – is toast them under a grill for a few minutes. Can you really call that cooking?" she asked, still laughing. "Oh, I see how it is. I guess you won't be getting any lunch then," he replied with a twinkle in his eye, arms crossed in defence. Gabriella let out another chuckle. "Hey, I never said I wasn't willing to sample your efforts," she joked. "Seriously though, that sounds good to me."

Troy laughed and took her hand, and they ventured outside to where his car was parked. He opened the door for her to climb in. His apartment was only a short drive away, and when they walked inside, an appealing aroma filled the air, making Gabriella's mouth water. It seemed Troy had thought ahead, and had already started cooking something in the oven. "Wow, something smells great," she said, glancing at him with a smile. Troy shrugged modestly but returned her smile. "Well, lunch won't be too much longer, so make yourself at home. Would you like anything to drink?"

"I'm fine for the moment, thanks. Can I do anything to help at all?" she asked, still standing. Troy replied that there was no need, and insisted that she was to sit down and relax. She did as she was told, thinking how sweet and thoughtful he was. Fifteen minutes later, they were eating what was one of the most delicious meals Gabriella had ever tasted. It was a sweet and sour chicken dish, and she had now decided that it was her new favourite food. As they ate, the two became engrossed in conversation. "This food is amazing!" Gabriella exclaimed. "I don't know of any other guy who would offer to cook for their date," she told him sincerely. And it was the truth.

"Well, I like to be different," he replied with a wink. "So, your ex..." Troy began, hoping he wasn't being nosey. But he honestly couldn't believe that a guy could treat someone as incredible as Gabriella as anything less than what she was. She was silent, so he continued. "You mentioned once that he treated you badly? You don't have to tell me anything, I just think this guy must've needed his head testing if he couldn't see how lucky he was." He had blurted it out because it was how he truly felt; but now wondered if what he had said was a little too forward. So he was relieved when Gabriella didn't seem too fazed by his statement. Instead, she blushed at his implication of her.

"You really think that?" she asked. He nodded and looked her in the eye, making sure she knew he was serious. "Well, his name was Scott. We dated for a couple of years in college. Then one day I finished a class early and went back to his dorm room...he was kissing another girl," she explained, her eyes closing for a few seconds as the memory of that heart-wrenching moment hit her. She felt a hand reach over to hers and squeeze it gently, and looked up to see Troy staring at her with a look of genuine concern on his face. "Hey, are you okay? Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up," he said apologetically. Gabriella shook her head, and squeezed his hand in return.

"No, it's fine. I'll be okay, I think I need to talk about it anyway. I never have before. At least, I never went into this much detail," she told him. "This girl took one look at me and smirked, so I took off running. I actually thought Scott might try and come after me, but he didn't. The next time I saw him, he was flaunting her all over campus like he didn't have a care in the world." Gabriella had since realised that what they had had together wasn't love. It never had been. Scott hadn't been the person she thought he was; and he obviously didn't care enough about her to feel any remorse for what he had done to her.

"Oh Gabriella..." Troy began, still looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that." She smiled weakly at him, silently thanking him for listening, and for caring so much. "Don't be. You're helping me heal from all of it right now," she replied honestly. He gave her hand another squeeze in support and, their meals now finished, they moved to sit on the couch. They were still looking at each other, and it struck Gabriella that sitting there in Troy's company, she had never truly been happier. Even though they had been discussing her ex-boyfriend. There was just one more thing that would make this day perfect. She wondered if he wanted to kiss her as much as she longed to kiss him.

She got her answer as she saw him slowly move closer to her. Instinctively she leaned in and closed her eyes. And that was when his lips touched hers. He kissed her softly and gently, then pulled away after a few seconds, as if to check that this was what she wanted too. She smiled, and closed the space between them herself as she leaned into him once again. It was a long, meaningful kiss and Troy gently enveloped her in his arms as Gabriella rested her hands on his shoulders; then slowly wound them around the back of his neck. Her eyes closed as she savoured the moment, all she could think was one thing. _If this is all a dream; let it last forever._

**Please Review!**

**Next chapter, Gabriella experiences some links to the accident...**


	8. Falling

**I'm glad you all liked the last few chapters; especially Troy and Gabriella's first kiss! Anyway, this is where it gets a little more interesting...So, here it is, chapter eight. Enjoy :)**

Cleaning up in the kitchen of the coffee shop, Gabriella was suddenly hit with a blinding headache. She dropped the cloth she was holding and put her hand to her head. The pain was so intense that she thought she may collapse. But before she could, the feeling disappeared. She leaned against the counter and sighed deeply. She had never felt pain like it. But what had caused it? Then it struck her. The accident. Had she sustained a head injury in two-thousand and ten? The bubble she had been walking around in seemed to burst as she thought about that accident. Yes, she was happy here. But surely she wasn't destined to stay here forever. Was she?

Picking the cloth up off the floor and disposing of it, she retrieved a new one and went back to the job at hand. If she didn't behave normally and get on with this life as best she could, then she would send herself crazy. Not that she was ruling out that concept; she might well be crazy. But there was simply no use dwelling on that. As Gabriella finished up in the kitchen, she didn't notice Troy come up behind her and carefully place his hands over her eyes. "Guess who?" he whispered. With a soft giggle, Gabriella put her own hands over his. "Hmm...well, considering there is only one other person working here tonight I'm going to say...Orlando Bloom?"

"Ohhh, is that who you'd rather hang out with?" Troy asked, removing his hands from her eyes as Gabriella turned around to face him. She grinned as he pretended to sulk at her comment. "You know I'm kidding. So, I think we're all done here, how's it looking out front?" she asked, trying unsuccessfully to wipe the smile off her face. He nodded. "Yep, we're all tidy out there too," he replied, looking at his watch. "And now it's about time we left. Locking up time." He picked up the keys to the shop from the side and they walked out of the kitchen, ready to leave. It was their turn to work the evening shift together again, and it had been another busy one.

"So, do you want to go and get some dinner?" Troy asked, wrapping an arm around Gabriella's shoulder. "Sounds good, I'm starving," she replied as they locked up the building and walked hand in hand towards the pizza parlour. They had taken no more than five steps when Gabriella was again overcome with another painful headache – this one far more intense than the last. She dropped her bag with a thud and lost her grip on Troy's hand. Her vision became blurred, and she was unable to stop herself from falling as her knees buckled beneath her.

"Gabriella!" she heard Troy shout. She heard the footsteps as he ran to her side, felt the added warmth as he placed his jacket over her limp body. She heard him make the call for an ambulance too. But she couldn't respond. She couldn't move either. The pain was still there, so strong that it had to be caused by a severe blow or knock to the head. _What's happening to me? Why am I only feeling the physical effects of the accident now? And more to the point, why have I been living injury-free in another world? _

She was unsure how much time passed before she felt herself being lifted into the air and then, presumably, placed onto a stretcher. Gabriella desperately wanted to open her eyes or say something, but neither one of those seemed to be an option. The next sound she heard was that of the sirens, and she knew she must now be in the ambulance. Then she felt a warm hand clinging onto hers and knew it was Troy. He was talking softly to her, in hushed, comforting tones. "I don't know if you can hear me, but I hope you can," he began. "You have to fight this, Gabriella, whatever it is. I...I know we've only known each other for a few weeks, but..." His voice broke mid-sentence and Gabriella was moved to hear the emotion that was clear in his words. But when she heard what he said next, she wished more than anything that she was able to communicate her own feelings in return.

"I love you, Gabriella," Troy whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. _I love you too! _she wanted to shout in reply. It was something she had been wanting to tell him herself for the past few days. Now here it was; the declaration of love that she had been waiting for all of her life. And not only was she in no position to return the gesture; she also couldn't promise herself that what she had with Troy was forever. She wanted it to be, more than anything. But her reality wasn't like this one. Her reality was full of endless college work, cheating ex-boyfriends, and constant exhaustion. And Troy wasn't in that reality.

Beyond Troy's heartfelt declaration for her, Gabriella had no other memory. Until she awoke to find herself in a hospital bed, with no one else in sight. The pain in her head was gone, but the confusion was not. _Where __am I? And _when _am I?_

**Cliffhanger time! Sorry, couldn't help myself ;) **

**To find out what has happened to Gabriella, stayed tuned for chapter nine, and please review!**

**Thank you**


	9. Limbo

**Here you go, it's chapter nine. Enjoy! :)**

The room was dark; but Gabriella knew it was a hospital room she was in. The moment she opened her eyes, she realised that any physical pain she had been feeling earlier had disappeared. Her vision was clear; her headache was gone, and if she understood when and where she was right now, she felt that she could've walked right outside and got on with her life. As it stood, she had no idea what was happening. Was she home? And if she was, did that mean she had to let go of Troy? As that thought entered her mind, she remembered that he had been with her in the ambulance. So where was he now?

"Gabriella? Honey, it's me," said a voice she recognised instantly. It was her mother. Looking around her, Gabriella tried to shout out in response. But for one thing, she found herself unable to speak aloud; and for another, there was still nobody in the room with her. Which meant that she had heard her mother's voice clear as a bell, without her even being there. In that split second that she had identified the owner of the voice, she had honestly thought that she was back in her own time. In two-thousand and ten. But her mind seemed to be playing tricks on her. Then again, maybe that's what her mind had been doing to her all this time. She squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to re-create some sense of reality.

Then, Gabriella's eyes flew to the door of the room as she heard it open slowly. Despite the fact that it confirmed the current and still confusing situation for her, she was relieved when she looked up to see the face of the one person that had kept her sane over the past few weeks. "Gabriella? Oh my God, you're awake!" Troy called out, and she saw his pale face relax somewhat at the sight of her. Slowly she moved herself and managed to sit up. Now that she had seen him, she didn't need to ask any questions about where she was. She knew she was still very much in two-thousand and five. So instead, she reached out for Troy's hand and opened her mouth, hoping that this time, some form of sound would come out. Because there was something she was desperate to tell him.

"I..." she croaked out, pausing to try and make her voice sound clearer. "I love you too," she finished. Gabriella was certain she had heard correctly in that ambulance. She had heard Troy's heartfelt speech about how much she meant to him, and she had heard him say quite clearly that he loved her. Yet she closed her eyes tightly after her own proclamation, nervous of his reaction all the same. _What if he only said it in the shock of the moment? _She needn't have worried. He had already taken hold of her hand and squeezed it in reassurance. She opened her eyes once again and turned to face him as he moved closer to her and placed a soft kiss on her head.

"I've been waiting hours to hear you say that," Troy replied quietly. Gabriella gasped, wondering exactly how long she had been in here for. "Hours? What do you mean? How long has it been since I..." she began quickly. He replied before she could even finished her sentence. "You've been unconscious for almost four hours." She didn't know what to make of that. Four hours was nothing compared to the weeks she had spent in this limbo, wondering where she really was. Of course, she still didn't know the answer to that. But her desire to find out, and to get back home, wasn't as strong as it had been. And that was only because of the man who was in front of her now.

The door to her room opened again, and this time a doctor entered, holding a few sheets of paperwork. Before Troy or Gabriella could say anything in greeting, the doctor spoke up. "Good to see you're awake, Miss Montez. We did some blood tests when you were brought in, and I have the results right here." Troy kept hold of Gabriella's hand and waited, clearly anxious about what could be wrong with the woman he loved. "The blood tests didn't show up anything. There were no abnormalities," she finished.

Gabriella hadn't expected anything different. As far as Troy, this doctor and the hospital were concerned, she had simply fainted. Nobody seemed aware of the pain that had caused her to collapse in the way that she did. And given that she suspected the pain was a result of the accident, she saw no need to mention it. Looking back at the doctor, she realised that she must have zoned out for a few minutes, because it was obvious she was waiting for a response. She was about to open her mouth when Troy piped up instead. "So, do you have any idea why she could have fainted like that?" he asked. The doctor shook her head.

"It's baffling, to be honest. I wish I could have a clear answer for you, but I'm afraid all I can do is tell you to come back if anything like this happens again." Troy looked as though he wanted to push the issue; but Gabriella simply smiled at the doctor, thanked her, and promptly stood up, ready to leave. So he followed her out of the room and sat her down in the waiting area of the main reception, while he went to find a pay phone to call a taxi. And after a ten minute wait, they were on their way home. Troy insisted on carrying Gabriella inside when they arrived at her apartment, despite her protests that there was no need. However, the truth was, she did feel strangely weak since her fall.

He put her down on the couch and sat down beside her. "How are you feeling?" he asked, brushing a stray hair away from her face. Gabriella smiled softly at him, again seeing how much he cared for her. "I'm okay, really. Don't worry, Troy," she replied. Troy scooted closer to her, and rested his forehead against hers. "I can't help it. I'm a worrier with this kind of stuff. And you're stuck with me now, because I am so, completely in love with you," he said sincerely. All Gabriella could do in response to that was kiss him, in a way that made it clear that she felt exactly the same way.

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**Next chapter, a misunderstanding that Gabriella struggles to explain to Troy...**


	10. Web of Lies

**Thanks for the reviews, I was really happy to reach over fifty on the last chapter! Well, hope you enjoy chapter ten. As always, feedback would be greatly appreciated :)**

It had been a week since Gabriella's hospital trip, and she hadn't experienced any pain since. Instead, she felt herself falling more and more in love with Troy. Ever since she had told him she loved him too, the pair had grown even closer, spending every spare moment together. The only problem with this, however, was that it meant Gabriella having to stretch the truth. She had told him all about her studies and her life as a student when they had first met; but none of that seemed to exist for her while she was here. So she felt as though she was effectively lying about herself. She didn't want to lie to him. Lying to anybody, let alone Troy, was against her nature anyway. But what else could she do? She _was _a student; she hadn't made up some elaborately weaved story just for him.

So, when Troy told her one day that he had almost a full day of lectures and seminars to attend; Gabriella had blurted out that she also had some classes to go to that day. She was surprised at how quickly she had managed to lie through her teeth. It wasn't something she wanted to get used to doing. Troy had nodded and smiled at her, and they had arranged to meet up in the late afternoon, once his last lecture ended. She had smiled back at him, all the while wanting to say something else: _no! This is wrong! I don't have any lectures to go to because I don't really belong here!_ But how could she possibly begin to explain that? She couldn't. He would think her to be a complete nut-case. And definitely not in the endearing sense. In the 'you belong in an institution' sense.

Because she wasn't working today, and she couldn't spend the day with Troy, Gabriella found herself sitting alone in the apartment with nothing to do. She wasn't keen on spending the rest of the day like this, as she knew it would result in her dwelling on her strange situation. When Troy was around, she did that a lot less. But on her own, her mind would always wander to thoughts of her friends; her family, her _life _in two-thousand and ten. And even though there was no Troy in that life; she missed everything else about it. This place was full of strangers to her, except for Troy, Anna, and oddly enough, a younger version of Scott.

Suddenly she thought about what option this left her with. She wouldn't see Troy until later; and there was no way in hell she was seeking out Scott, even if he hadn't yet done the dirty on her. Which left one other person. Anna. With her being the manager, Gabriella was sure Anna would be working today. A plan for the day now formed in her head, she picked up her keys, grabbed her coat, and left, heading over to the coffee shop. She arrived there in record time and was about to go in when she realised something that could be crucial to her new 'lying habit'. If Anna saw her, she might easily let slip to Troy that she had come here, and had therefore not been where she said she would be. She quickly brushed the worry aside, though, when she reminded herself that she could always explain that her class had ended early or been cancelled. This idea was followed by a tinge of guilt at how concocted a web of lies this was going to become. Still, she pushed it all to the back of her mind as she made her way into the shop.

Having worked there for almost a month now, Gabriella was used to seeing the place packed. But for some reason that she was unable to fathom at this moment, today the shop was almost deserted. There was no queue whatsoever at the coffee counter, and only two tables were occupied. She was about to take a seat, rather than barge through to the back, when Anna came through from the back room and noticed her standing there. "Gabriella. Well this is a surprise on your day off!" she greeted jokingly, grinning at her newest employee. Gabriella grinned back, feeling glad she had come.

Despite the strict welcome she had received when she had been unwittingly late on her first day, she had since got to know Anna better, and it turned out she was a great person, and a very fair manager, all in all. The woman was, Gabriella had guessed, in her early thirties. She wasn't married, and had a great sense of humour. "Hey, Anna. Yeah, just thought I'd pop in and say hi. And get a drink, of course. Why's it so dead in here?" she replied. She was also curious as to whether there was anyone else working today; because it seemed unusual for there to only be one member of staff working at one time. Anna answered her unasked question in her response. "No idea. It's like this every now and then, but we never figure out why. The other guy working today is out back on a break."

Gabriella's mouth formed a silent 'oh', signalling that she got the point. Anna asked what she wanted to drink and, once Gabriella had ordered and paid, she offered to bring it over to her. She found a table and before long her boss was in front of her, placing her latte in front of her. "Mind if I sit with you for a bit? My feet are killing me, and I very much doubt I'll get mobbed with a roomful of customers in the next five minutes," she said, getting a friendly nod in return. "So," Anna stated, clearly about to move on to a new topic. "You and Troy..." she stopped there. It was already obvious what she was getting at. "I thought you knew that we're together," Gabriella replied with a small smile. Anna smiled back warmly. She did know. She had seen something between them as early on as Gabriella's first day on the job. She just wanted to be nosey, and find out how their relationship was going so far. "I do. I was just going to ask how it's going with you two," she finished.

"It's going great. Really great," Gabriella replied seriously. She started to tell Anna how deeply she cared for Troy. As they continued to talk, her boss made it clear that she already knew that, too. Along with the knowledge of how much Troy cared for Gabriella in return. Apparently the eagle-eyed woman had been able to see it in their eyes, whether they were working with each other or not. _The look of love_.

Just as Anna stood up to return to the counter, having decided that she'd better set a good example for her employees by at least trying to look busy on a slow day; the door to the shop opened. But it wasn't a customer. It was Troy. As he caught sight of Gabriella and she met his gaze, an awful feeling flooded into the pit of her stomach. He looked hurt. And she could tell by the look in his eye that she had something to do with that.

**Please Review!**

**Next chapter, you'll find out what has Troy looking so upset, and what the misunderstanding is. Can Gabriella explain herself?**


	11. Breaking Down

**I know, I left you with another cliffhanger! To make up for it, the next few chapters are full of Troyella moments. Enjoy! :)**

"Troy? What is it?" Gabriella asked tentatively. She was afraid of the answer, but didn't want to wait for him to speak first. He said nothing for a short while. Then, finally, he spoke quietly, hardly looking at her. "I finished my last lecture early. Went to find you at the university. But when I gave your name, no one had heard of you. I even made them double check. Made myself look a complete idiot. Sure enough, they tell me again. They've never had a student by the name of Gabriella Montez." She had no response prepared for this. None whatsoever. She couldn't focus on anything other than the look in Troy's eyes. There was only a hint of anger there. What was most crippling for her to deal with was the hurt and disappointment that shone through them.

Gabriella was desperate to make some kind of attempt to justify her actions. But any straightforward way to do so didn't come to mind. As far as he was concerned, she _had _lied to him. She had told him of the university at which she studied. But of course, she wasn't a student there in this world. Only in her own time. It seemed the only solution was to tell the truth. The bizarre, unexplainable, yet very real truth. "I...I can explain this, Troy. Really I can. I know it feels like I've lied to you, but..." she was cut off by Troy as he looked her straight in the eye. "You did lie to me. And I don't understand why. It doesn't make any sense. But I'm not sure I can listen to an explanation right now. I have to go. Please don't follow me," he stated simply, before turning and walking out of the door. Dumbstruck, Gabriella sat frozen in her chair, wanting to move but also wanting to respect Troy's request of her.

After a couple of minutes she stood up and slowly walked outside, needing some air. She didn't glance Anna's way as she passed her; she couldn't deal with the woman questioning her on what had just happened. The cold air doing nothing to soothe her distress, Gabriella ran as fast as she could back to her apartment. She had to think about what she was going to do. If Troy had let her, she would have had every intention of telling him the whole truth. But now as she went over the idea in her head, it struck her that if he didn't think she was mad after hearing her story; he would probably think she was patronising him instead. Mocking him. Something she would never do.

Rushing inside, she ran into the bedroom and flung herself onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. This had to be a nightmare now. She just wanted to be back in a world that made sense again. As much as she wanted to be with Troy; she would never be able to be completely honest with him. It hurt more than anything to know that. She had finally fallen in love, a love she had never known before; and it had to happen in what had to be an alternate universe. Gabriella let the tears fall, feeling utterly hopeless. That was the last thing that went through her mind as she drifted off into an uneasy sleep. A feeling of total hopelessness.

_**.HSM.**_

She was woken in the early hours by a knock on the door. Lifting herself up and off the bed, Gabriella glanced at the clock and saw that she had slept away the rest of the day. As the knocking began again, this time slightly louder, she rushed towards the door and opened it, not expecting to see the person that she most wanted to, who was stood leaning against the doorway. He wasn't exactly smiling; but he didn't look angry either. She couldn't decipher his expression as he stood there and faced her. Then: "hi," he said quietly.

"Hi," she replied in barely more than a whisper. She didn't know what else to say to him. It was all she could do to keep herself from bursting into tears right then and there at the unfairness and confusion of it all. Moments passed with neither one of them moving from their positions. Gabriella would have let Troy inside if she wasn't rooted to the spot. Suddenly, her emotions got the better of her and she began to sob uncontrollably. As her exhausted body shook with despair, a pair of warm arms surrounded her and in that one gesture she felt safe again. Ever since the moment Troy had walked way from her in the coffee shop she had felt as though she was lost all over again. But now as he held her tightly to his chest, Gabriella allowed herself to relax a little. That didn't stop the gut-wrenching sobs that were still coursing through her, though.

"Shhhh, it's okay. Please don't cry, I'm here," Troy told her gently, still cradling her in his arms. They stood like that for what seemed like hours, neither one of them moving. Eventually, he pulled back to look at her pale face, then led her inside. He set himself down on her couch, bringing Gabriella with him. Finally, she calmed down enough to blink away some of her tears, and managed to look him in the eye again. Her voice was shaky as she started to speak. "I want to tell you why, I really do. But I...I can't," she said fearfully.

Troy noticed that she seemed scared to tell him about the reason behind her lies. He was still upset that she had lied to him in the first place; but he was worried about her now. Wanting to reassure her, he took her hands in his and placed a soft kiss on them. "You can. You can tell me anything, Gabriella. I need you to know that and believe it." She closed her eyes briefly, now even more tempted to tell him the truth. But she was still holding back as she replied, "I do know that. Of course I do. It's just that if I tell you this, you'll think I'm...crazy." She saw his face soften at her response.

"Hey, listen to me. I wouldn't think anything bad about you. Not ever. Please tell me what's going on so I can help you," he said softly, his blue eyes pleading with her to let him in. Gabriella saw the sincerity in his eyes and took a deep breath. She was taking a risk with a confession that she knew would sound like total lunacy. But if she didn't do this, she feared losing Troy anyway. And she couldn't bear the thought of that.

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**Next chapter, Gabriella tells Troy everything. How will he react?**


	12. Tell Me It's Real

**_Chapter Re-post: _I know what you're thinking - you already read this chapter! Lol, but I was reading it again and came across some typing errors, which was strange as in my word document they didn't show up! Anyway, I'm a little too much of a perfectionist so _had_ to edit it, probably because this was my favourite chapter so far.**

**_Original A/N: _Thanks again for all the feedback so far! Really hope you like this chapter – I wanted to make sure it was believable with the right amount of emotion and suspense, so I kept going back and adding more to it. Anyway, enjoy! :) **

Her breath caught anxiously in her throat as she prepared to tell Troy the truth. Finally, she blurted it out. "I don't belong here," she stated, knowing that she was going to have to elaborate on that soon. For the moment, though, she closed her eyes and let him hold her in a silent embrace. Then he spoke, having taken in her odd statement. "What are you talking about? What would make you say that?" Gabriella knew he was trying to comfort her, thinking that she meant she simply felt 'out of place'. But that turn of phrase was the biggest understatement imaginable. "Troy, you don't understand," she whispered tearfully.

"What is it? What don't I understand?" he asked, close to tears himself now at seeing Gabriella in such distress. "Baby, please tell me. I'm worried about you." She still wasn't sure how to say this. So she started with the thing that was most worrying her about her forthcoming admission. "I'm scared that when I tell you, you'll leave me. Because when you hear this, you'll think..." she couldn't finish. The thought had been running through her head all night. Troy reached up to tuck a few strands of her hair behind her ears, then cupped her face with his hands. "Hey. I told you I would never think you're crazy. And I would never leave you, because I love you. Okay?" he said softly.

"You won't say that when I tell you," Gabriella replied. "Before I say it, I need you to know that what's happened to me...I would never have believed it in a million years if someone else had told me it had happened to them. But it's happened to me, and I can't explain why. Do you remember how we first met?" she asked slowly. Troy allowed a fond smile to form on his lips as he recalled that day. He nodded, then continued to listen intently. Despite the pleasant reference to their first meeting, he had to know what she was talking about. What had happened to her?

"Well, the things I said that day, when you found me lying in the street...they were true. I _was_ in a car accident. And what I said about the year... I really _was _only sixteen in two-thousand and five...at least, in the two-thousand and five that I knew_,_" she told him. Her face was completely serious, and she could only pray that Troy would see that and understand that she wasn't trying to fool him. He had taken note of this already, but he didn't know what she could possibly be saying to him. She wasn't making sense. "I don't...you...what?" he stuttered. Gabriella couldn't judge what his reaction was going to be when she got this all out. The only thing she could do was finish her story.

"I wish I knew a better way to explain this. But whichever way I say it; it's still going to sound crazy. Until the day I met you, I was a law student living in the year two-thousand and _ten_," she stated the year with emphasis, trying to make it clear that she wasn't just delusional. "I was running late for work at a coffee shop, which was the one I told you about that day. The name I gave you that you'd never heard of, that's what it's called. This car came round the corner as I ran across the road. I remember being hit, and then falling through the air. The next thing I knew, I woke up and you found me, and there wasn't a scratch on me. We were standing on the same street I was on just before the accident, but _my _coffee place wasn't there...and then you told me the date, and I thought I'd gone mad," she finished, without looking at Troy.

He was, however, looking at her. His face was a mixture of shock and amazement. Gabriella was right. What he was hearing _did _sound crazy. And yet, he didn't think that she was. But he was at a loss for words right now. After a few more minutes in which neither of them said anything, Gabriella bravely turned to face Troy. "I promise you, this isn't a joke. And I'm not mentally unstable or schizophrenic; I know my own mind. But I understand if you don't believe me. If you want to leave now, I won't blame you," she said. That last statement left her on the verge of tears again. She honestly believed that this would be it now; that he would walk away from her and never look back. So when he instead got up from his place next to her and knelt down in front of her, taking her hands in his, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

She waited for him to say something, anything that would tell her what he was thinking. Finally, he did. "I believe you," he said simply. "Let's just get one thing straight first. I am not going anywhere, alright?" he clarified sincerely. Troy may have been stunned by her revelation, but he meant what he said. He genuinely believed her. He had always read about these kinds of experiences. Of course, the stories had all been fictional; but he had found himself understanding how it could be possible. After all, in training and studying to become a doctor, he had seen and read about how people entered into comas after being involved in accidents. Who was to say that these people didn't find themselves in another time in their state of unconsciousness?

It wasn't a question of denying his own existence. In fact, one of the reasons he believed Gabriella was because this made more sense than other theories based on the idea. He didn't believe that people could enter into a universe that was entirely created for or by that person. But the idea of finding oneself in another time period, with people as real as yourself - Troy bought into that theory. "Did you just say you believe me?" she asked incredulously. He stood up without letting go of her hands, and gently pulled her up to a standing position too.

"Yes, I do. And I _don't_ think you're crazy. I've always wondered whether this was possible. If anyone else had said it I would have thought they were joking. But you described everything so vividly, so accurately," Troy replied. She let out a long breath, and then closed her eyes as she uttered quietly, "do you mean it?" He nodded without hesitation.

"Yes. I know it's real," he told her clearly. Gabriella looked at Troy as he spoke, so happy that he hadn't run a mile that she could have cried all over again – but this time in joy. "Thank you. I really needed you to believe me. You're the only thing keeping me sane. Everything is so confusing, I don't know what's happening to me. But there have been things that have happened here that link to the accident," she told him as they sat down again.

"Like what?" he asked curiously. Gabriella, now able to look at him freely as she spoke, began to explain the rest of the story. "That day when I fainted? It was because I got this awful, throbbing headache. It overpowered my whole body, and I'm sure it means that I suffered a head injury in the accident. Then when I woke up in the hospital, I heard my mother's voice trying to soothe me. But the room was empty, and of course she wasn't there." Troy had been thinking it over as she talked, and now decided to tell her what he thought this all meant. "Gabriella, I think that accident might have put you in a coma."

She nodded at him. She had considered that possibility too. "That's what I've been thinking. But what does that make this place? I know it's not just in my imagination. I couldn't just imagine someone like you," she replied quietly. Troy smiled at her words, knowing what she meant by her reference to him. "Besides, I saw someone else that made me realise that the people here are most definitely real. It was Scott, my ex," she added, cringing at the memory of seeing his face again.

"What happened? What did he say to you?" Troy asked, seeing the look on her face. The tense look on Gabriella's face lessened as she answered. "He didn't. I knew him, but he didn't know me – he's only sixteen here, just like I would've been. We met in college. But when I saw him, I figured out that all of this isn't just some fantasy world." _Although it feels like that when I'm with you,_ she added silently, resting her head against his chest. "I don't know why I'm here. I'm so used to having all the answers, but...I'm scared, Troy," she whispered, clinging onto him as though he might disappear into thin air if she let go.

"I know, baby. I know. But you don't have to be scared anymore. I'm here," he whispered back softly, hugging her close. Gabriella made no move to pull back from Troy. She stayed in the same position, inhaling his scent; reassuring herself that he was real. "Will you stay here with me?" she asked. "I don't want to be alone, it makes me feel like I don't exist here." Troy pressed a kiss to her temple and held her, letting her know that he wasn't going anywhere. Then he lifted her into his arms and carried her into her room, carefully laying her down on the bed. He lay down beside her and leaned towards her, so that their foreheads were touching.

Gabriella reached out a hand in front of her and quickly found his. Lacing their fingers together, she then ran her other hand through Troy's hair and then stopped still, keeping it there. She closed her eyes but couldn't stop a few tears leaking out. She was scared right now for so many reasons. She didn't know for sure what she was doing here; whether she would ever see her mother again; if this was life now or just some kind of existence. But there was one more thing that she was desperate to be sure of.

"Tell me this is real. You and me - please tell me it's real," she pleaded, opening her eyes. Troy used his own free hand to gently caress Gabriella's cheek. Looking into her eyes, his response was simple, but heartfelt. "It's more real than anything I've ever felt before."

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**Next chapter...Gabriella now has Troy to confide in, but what happens when both of her worlds start to blend? **


	13. Dreams and Visions

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews I got for the last chapter! Here it is, chapter thirteen :)**

_Gabriella couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right as she opened her books to begin studying for her next big exam. She had been feeling that way for months, ever since she had woken up from the coma she had been left in following her accident. Work and her studies were the same as they always had been, and yet now everything seemed different to her. She actually felt like she didn't belong in her own home town anymore. People she knew and used to speak to regularly seemed like strangers to her. Still, knowing that dwelling on these strange feelings wasn't going to help her pass this exam, she forced herself to ignore them and focus on the text books in front of her._

_The library was relatively empty so she was glad of the peace and quiet. Until she heard someone lurking behind her, and an instant feeling of unease came over her. She didn't turn around, hoping that whoever it was would leave. But they didn't. Footsteps came closer and closer, until a man leaned over her shoulder and whispered to her. "Well well, nice to see you again Gabriella." She looked up to find herself staring into the face of her ex-boyfriend. But the minute she saw the look in his eyes, she knew that his greeting hadn't been a friendly one. Scott had always been relaxed and laid back when she had dated him; but now he looked intense and almost...threatening. He hadn't moved positions and was still leaning closely towards her. Gabriella felt the strong urge to scream._

Troy jumped almost a foot in the air when an ear-piercing scream filled the silence of Gabriella's apartment. Running from the kitchen into his girlfriend's bedroom, he was distressed to see her sitting up in bed looking pale, terrified, and in tears. "Gabi? Shhh, it's just me, you're okay now," he said softly as he climbed onto the bed next to her and took her into his arms. She immediately relaxed in his warm embrace, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. "Sorry, I'm fine now, it was just so real, I..." she started, feeling more confused than ever about what was happening to her.

She had dreamt that she was back in two-thousand and ten; that she had woken up after the accident. But what stuck most in her mind was not just how clear and real it was to her. It was the feeling she had experienced within the dream. Much like how she had felt when she had first woken up here. Like she didn't belong. She was also bewildered at the appearance of Scott, and it was that which had turned the dream from confusing to frightening. "I was back home," Gabriella stated, looking up at Troy. "I had woken up from the coma, and I was studying in the library when Scott turned up. It was the look on his face that scared me. He looked angry, like he was going to hurt me..." she trailed off, looking down.

Troy gently cradled her face in his hands and managed to get her to raise her head and look up at him. "Hey, listen to me. It's okay now, he can't hurt you," he said softly. Gabriella nodded, but she was still spooked by the whole dream. However, she was also glad that she wasn't alone right now. A few months had passed since she had revealed everything, and lately Troy had been staying over more and more regularly. This nightmare was the first link to the accident that Gabriella had experienced in months. There had not been any repeats of the terrible pain in her head either. "If you need to talk some more about it, I'll always be here to listen," Troy assured her. She took his hand and squeezed it gratefully. She didn't doubt him for a second. But he couldn't necessarily keep that promise. If she were to wake up now, in her own time; there were no guarantees that she would find him there.

"I know, and thank you. Anyway, come on, we'd better get ready for work!" she replied, putting on a cheerful voice. A few hours later, they were rushed off their feet in the busy coffee shop, working their now 'usual' shift together. It was so busy that day that Gabriella found herself constantly serving customer after customer for a good half an hour – calling out drinks orders to Troy in between. They finally got a reprieve after serving a family who had ordered several drinks, paninis, sandwiches and cakes in one go.

"Hey Gab? While we've got a minute I'm just going to clear some of the tables," Troy told her, exiting the counter. Gabriella nodded with a smile, and busied herself with cleaning up the equipment they had just been using. She was just running a wash cloth underneath the tap when a strange, indescribable feeling came over her. It wasn't painful; but it wasn't a good feeling, either. Her vision seemed clouded for a moment until she blinked and found herself...somewhere else. _Oh no, what now? _Deciding to try her hardest to find out whatever she could, she looked around for any clues as to her surroundings.

It didn't take her long to work it out as she watched someone who appeared to be a nurse walk past her. She was in a hospital. But Gabriella didn't attempt to talk to the woman. She had no idea if she could actually be seen here; and she wasn't keen to find out. That would only result in confusing her even more. Suddenly she heard a voice that made her turn to face in the opposite direction. She knew that voice; and it made her want to burst into tears at how much she missed it. _Mom..._

She shook away the tears that had formed in her eyesand strained to listen as she saw her mother talking to an older male doctor. "And what does this mean?" asked Maria Montez. She looked visibly distressed. The doctor shook his head apologetically. "It means that at this point, I can't give you a clear indication of whether your daughter will wake up from the coma," he replied. Gabriella's heart ached at the sight that unfolded before her. She saw her mother begin to shake uncontrollably, and then support herself by leaning upon the reception desk as she broke down in tears.

As she watched, she realised what the doctor had been saying. He was uncertain as to whether she would survive the accident. Was living in another world with Troy worth dying here and leaving her mother devastated? As much as she knew she was head over heels in love with Troy; Gabriella longed to see her mother and her friends and family again. But there was nothing she could do about it. Before she could get past that thought, she felt herself drifting further and further away from the sight of her heartbroken mother, until with a jolt she realised she was back behind the counter of her two-thousand and five coffee shop. Where she immediately heard another voice she had come to know well. "Gabriella? Gabi, are you okay? Look at me," Troy said, growing worried. The shop was now empty, and the water was still running from when she had turned the tap on.

"I'm...I'm okay," she replied, looking him in the eye. He came closer to her and breathed a sigh of relief as the colour returned to her face. "You turned completely pale. Your eyes went glassy, it was like you weren't here for a few minutes," Troy told her. Gabriella listened to his account of what had just happened and something dawned on her. To her, it had honestly seemed like she had been transported through time. But apparently she had been in the same place the whole time. Which meant she must have been having some sort of vision. "I wasn't. I wasn't here," she replied truthfully. "I was watching my mother cry over the possibility of me dying..." As the reality of that last statement hit her, Gabriella let herself fall into Troy's waiting arms as she began to break down, the constant confusion of her existence getting the better of her.

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**Until next time... ;)**


	14. A Precious Moment

**Thank you for reading and reviewing, I'm glad you are all still liking the story! I'm hoping I might be able to reach one hundred reviews before the end ;) Enjoy chapter fourteen!**

The day after her startling vision, Gabriella woke up to find she had had another thought-provoking dream. This one wasn't frightening, but it did take her by surprise. She had dreamt of her maternal grandfather. He had passed away when she was eighteen, and although at the time she could recall him appearing in her dreams often, this had soon stopped after a few months. So now that it had suddenly happened again, she felt there must be some significance in it. In the dream her grandpa had offered her some advice. Only there had been no mention of what the advice was for. All she had to go on was one sentence, the words of which were still ringing in her ears. _"Don't search so much for the reason, Gabriella. It's right in front of you."_

The philosophical tone of the statement convinced Gabriella that it was most definitely referring to her current situation. But she was still unsure as to what was meant specifically by 'reason'. Did it mean the reason for the accident? The reason for her waking up here? Or did it mean the reason for her possible imminent death? She was still pondering these thoughts when she noticed that a pair of soft eyes were watching her intently, causing her to turn her head to the side. "Morning," she greeted, to which Troy replied with a gentle kiss on her cheek. "Good morning. Are you alright?" he asked, still worried about her after all that had happened the day before. They hadn't talked about it again since she had told him everything she had heard last night.

"I don't really know right now," she told him, sitting up and leaning closer to him. "I might be dying right now and there's nothing I can do about it. I just want to see my mother again." Troy wrapped an arm around Gabriella as she tried not to cry. "Hey, remember what you told me? That doctor didn't say anything was definite. There's still time," he told her, kissing the side of her head. She looked up at him. He was right; the only thing she could do now was think positively. She just wished everything wasn't so complicated and...bizarre. Troy was still the only thing that made sense in her life here.

So she decided to tell him about her latest dream, also taking the opportunity to talk about her grandfather. She had spoken of her father to Troy a few times, and while she had always mentioned her grandfather too; she hadn't talked about him in this much detail before. His death had hit her hard, having been more sudden than that of her father's. Gabriella's father had died after a long battle with cancer when she was ten; but her grandfather had been diagnosed and then passed away within a month. Of course, each loss was just as devastating, though. Troy listened thoughtfully, sad that Gabriella had experienced such pain in her life. To lose her father _and_ grandfather while still so young seemed far too cruel. When she reached the end of her explanation, he cleared his throat to reply.

"So, why do you think he appeared now, after all this time?" he asked. She looked thoughtful herself now, but seemed to want to find an answer to his question. "I think maybe he knew I needed help. He was so full of wisdom when he was alive." Troy nodded, smiling at the idea of Gabriella having someone to watch over her, even beyond death. Just then, he heard her let out a loud gasp, a realisation coming to her in that last statement. "Oh my..." she started, not knowing how to say this. "M-My grandpa died in two-thousand and seven," she stuttered. It didn't take Troy long to understand what she meant. Her grandfather was still alive here. In fact, he had lived in Boston his whole life. Could Gabriella actually have a chance to see him again?

"Wow," was all Troy could say in response. "And he lived...I mean _lives_ here?" She nodded back in disbelief. "What's his name?" Troy asked, curious to know more about the man his girlfriend talked so fondly of. "Samuel Andrews," she replied. Gabriella was in a daze, and failed to notice the look of sheer amazement that had appeared on Troy's face in that moment. "No way..." he whispered, making her snap out of her thoughts. "What is it?" Gabriella asked, focusing all of her attention on Troy now. She watched him closely as he spoke again. "Was your grandfather a painter and decorator?" he said softly. She gasped, barely daring to believe what he could be saying to her. "How...how did you know that?"

"I worked with him for a while a few years back. It was a good job, and a way to earn steady money while I studied. I used to do the odd decorating job on weekends, and I would work with Sam – your grandpa – most of the time. We used to have a laugh together – he was always joking around. But we lost touch when I got the job at the coffee shop." Gabriella listened to his story, touched at how fondly Troy seemed to think of her grandpa. She grinned at the description of him being a joker; that was what she missed the most about him. "I can't believe you knew him. I remember he used to talk about a 'young man' that he worked with. He said you were a hard worker," she recalled. That made Troy grin, and he wished more than ever that he had made the effort to keep in contact with his old friend. Especially now that he knew the man wouldn't be around in a few years' time.

"So do you want to go and find him?" Troy asked, expecting Gabriella to jump at this extraordinary chance. But she didn't answer right away. She was lost in thought at the suggestion. She would give anything to see her grandpa again; to talk to him and listen to his famous wisecracks just one more time. But how could she do that here, now? Yes, she could probably find him. But in his eyes, who was she to him? As far as he was concerned, his granddaughter was sixteen years old right now. If Gabriella walked up to him as her twenty-one year old self and claimed to be that same person, what good would come out of it? She didn't want to alter her last moments with her grandfather by turning it into a confusing and literally unbelievable meeting.

"I don't think it's going to be that simple. But I have another idea," she replied. "Would my grandpa's business number be in the phone book?" Today being a working day, Gabriella knew that her grandfather would not be reachable at home - the number of which she of course already knew. "Yeah, I should think so," Troy answered with a nod. "I have a phone book back at my place, do you want to go there now and have a look?" Gabriella nodded eagerly, and within a matter of minutes they got themselves up and dressed, and headed out to make their way to Troy's apartment. When they got there, he let them inside and then quickly found his phone book for the local area, and began scanning the pages for the name of Gabriella's grandfather.

"Here it is," he said eventually, pointing the number out to her, then passing her his phone. He knew she wouldn't hesitate to take it. Dialling the number, she waited impatiently until suddenly she heard a sharp click, and the voice she had missed so much in the last three years was answering her call. "Hello, this is Sam Andrews, what can I do for you?" came the voice of her beloved grandfather. With tears in her eyes, Gabriella swiftly ended the call, feeling overcome with emotion at the amazing gift she had just been given. It may have only been for a few seconds; but hearing her grandpa speak again meant the world to her. And knowing that it wasn't just a recording or a home video was even better. "I'm so happy I got the chance to hear his voice again," she said to Troy. "And it means so much to know that you knew him." He smiled and brushed away a few of the tears that had fallen over her face. "I'm very glad about that too," he replied.

With that, they stood up to leave, deciding to go and have lunch at the coffee shop. Just as they had left his building and were heading in that direction, someone bumped into Gabriella, clearly having not even bothered to look where he was going. "Hey, watch it!" Troy called out, making the young boy turn around abruptly, facing the couple. Gabriella recognised him instantly and felt increasingly uneasy as he mumbled an apology and walked away. As she watched him go, two things went through her mind. One was that she had come face to face with the young version of Scott once again. But the other thought was that this time, seeing him had sparked something from her memory. Something very unpleasant.

**Cliffhanger time once again! (Sorry, I had to do it lol...) The plot for this chapter might have been unexpected, but the idea came to me and I had to write it. I decided not to actually reunite Gabriella with her grandfather, as I didn't think it would work. However, I think everyone wishes they could have that chance to hear the voice of a lost loved one again. Anyway, hope you all liked it. Next time: What has Gabriella remembered? **

**Please Review! :) **


	15. A Revelation

**Hey all! I think this is the longest I've left it between updates before! There are only a few chapters left in this story, so once again I want to say thanks for following and reviewing it throughout :) Enjoy chapter fifteen...**

"It was him..." Gabriella uttered, shocked to the core. She didn't know why, but this time seeing Scott had brought everything flooding back to her. Suddenly a memory had returned to her, one that she couldn't believe she had forgotten. Now, it was as clear as day. Then, looking around her, she realised why it had become so clear. She appeared to be in another flashback; only for some reason she hadn't even registered that fact until now. She quickly surveyed her new surroundings, and instantly recognised where she was. She was in one of the hallways of her old college. And just a few feet away stood Scott – the version she was used to, not the boy she had encountered mere minutes ago. Even more surreal was what else Gabriella could see. Herself. Looking heartbroken yet scared at the same time.

By now, she could already recall everything about the conversation that was about to unfold before her again. But she listened in anyway. "I know what you've been telling people about me. You told them everything," she heard Scott bellow. Gabriella watched as her other self bravely replied, "people asked me why we broke up; I told them. That's all there is to it. Now please leave me alone." Then she attempted to walk away from him. But he was too fast for her, and ran to block her path. "I don't think so. Everyone's walking around calling me scum, and worse. That's thanks to you, and now my reputation has been ripped to shreds. Why should I just let you walk around and get away with that?" he finished, a threatening tone evident in his voice. Then, just as Gabriella remembered, she saw herself running, barging straight past Scott. He let her go, but called after her, "you are going to pay for this, don't think I'm going to forget."

She recalled how that last statement had shaken her; but she had kept running, out of the building and out of Scott's life forever. Or so she had thought at the time. Now she was more than convinced that he was behind her accident. As she let that last thought wash over her, Gabriella again felt herself drifting away from the familiar scene; until her mind returned her to where she was still standing, looking vacant, on the street with Troy. "Gabi? Gabriella, are you okay? Who was that?" his voice echoed in her direction as she got her bearings back.

"Scott. It was Scott," she answered simply, not looking at him as yet another thought occurred to her. "Now I know what my grandpa meant in that dream." Troy stood in front of her, trying to work out what what going on according to the look on her face. "What? Wait a second, that was your ex?" he asked as Gabriella looked up at him, nodding silently in answer to his question. Then she began to explain the remainder of the situation. "I think he had something to do with my accident. I don't remember whether I saw the driver of that car, but I did remember something else. He threatened me back when we broke up; and that dream I had...my grandpa said the answer was right in front of me. And Scott keeps showing up here," she finished breathlessly.

Troy didn't say anything for a minute as he took in all this new information. Finally, he seemed to snap out of his thoughts and take charge. "Okay, come on, let's get you home. Try and calm down baby, I know you've had another shock," he said softly as he put an arm around her and led her back to her apartment. Once there, they sat huddled together on the couch. "I wish there was a logical way to deal with this, but we can't call the police on a sixteen-year old boy who is currently innocent of any of this," Troy continued rationally. Gabriella had no other suggestions either. Nothing about this situation was normal, after all. "I know. I just can't believe he hated me so much that he planned to do that - to just mow me down like that. But if you could've heard the way he threatened me...he meant every word," she replied in a whisper.

Troy didn't know what to say. He knew what he wanted to _do_, if he could get his hands on that monster. But again, this was not that simple. "Sweetheart, listen to me. I promise you that I will never let anyone hurt you like that ever again," he told her, wrapping his arms around her. Gabriella gave him a weak smile that said, _'Thank you'_, then buried her face in his chest. She didn't want to think about this anymore. It was too much to bear. So, telling herself to block out everything she had just discovered, she relaxed and let herself fall asleep, still cuddling into Troy. He held her even closer to him, and was soon drifting off into an uneasy sleep himself.

_**.HSM.**_

_Gabriella was running, trying to avoid being too late for work. She was still careful enough to look where she was going, however. Which was why she made sure to look both left and right as she got ready to cross the road. And yet, even as cautious as she was; this didn't prevent a careless driver from hurtling towards her. As she looked to her left, Gabriella knew she had no chance of getting herself out of the way of the car's path. She only had a matter of seconds. All she could do was wait for it to happen as her eyes clocked those of the driver. She knew that face. But then she felt the full force of the vehicle as it hit her, and everything went black. Including that last memory..._

Waking up in Troy's arms, Gabriella took a few deep gasps of breath to recover from the latest flashback. It might have been a dream, but she knew what she had just seen was true. She remembered the moment for real now. Scott had been behind the wheel of that car. "Hey, what is it?" Troy asked gently, having woken up himself upon hearing her stirring in his arms. "Please talk to me, Gabi." Speaking quietly but clearly, Gabriella explained, "he was driving that car, Troy. He didn't just plan it; he did it." Knowing the one hundred percent truth was a relief on some level, but did nothing to make her feel better. It was a shock to the system, knowing that someone had wanted her dead to the extent that they actually went ahead and tried to kill her. What had she done to deserve that? On the other hand, as insane as it sounded; Scott's actions had also led to something positive. They had led her to Troy.

Troy - who right now was rocking her back and forth in his arms, unable to come up with an adequate response to her last statement. He was the reason she wasn't spending every waking moment trying to get back to reality. Did she even want to entertain thoughts of going back to a reality in which her only romantic link was the same person who now wanted her dead?

**Next chapter – Will something or someone change Gabriella's perception of her new world? **

**Please Review, I love getting your feedback! :D**


	16. Decision Time

**Hey all! First thing's first: Zac and Vanessa's break-up...it's definitely a shame and I was sad to hear it. But I also thought how nice it was to hear that it was all dealt with amicably and that they are still friends. It's funny to think what a popular couple they've been and yet they were always so private. Also, we can live in hope that they might get back together one day – just look at at Prince William and Kate who split up for a while to gain some independence; and now they're getting married! So anything is possible. Anyway, back to the story. Enjoy chapter sixteen :)**

The days passed by quickly after Gabriella discovered the truth about Scott. She was glad that so far, she hadn't run into him again. Knowing what she did now had left her feeling vulnerable; and since having those flashbacks, the idea of coming face to face with Scott yet again filled her with even more anxiety than before. But nevertheless, she remained somewhat content – enough so for her to continue going about life where she was. She went to work; spent time with Troy, ate and slept as though everything was perfectly normal. Of course, deep down there was still a constant ache in her heart where she longed to be reunited with her mother. But what could she possibly do to make that happen anyway?

So, here she was, ready for another day at work in the coffee shop. Today, her shift ran smoothly – she was working with Anna because Troy had asked to swap his shift in order to meet a deadline for his studies. Gabriella had missed having Troy with her, but had to admit that this had still been an enjoyable shift. She and Anna made a good team. That evening, they had just closed up when the store's phone began to ring. "Gabriella, would you mind getting that? I'm just filling up the sugar bowls on the tables," Anna called out. Gabriella quickly put down the near-full bag of trash she was holding and dashed towards the phone.

"Hello?" she greeted pleasantly. But she was thrown when the voice on the other end did not reveal itself to be that of a customer placing a late order; but instead made her almost drop the phone in disbelief. Although, given everything else she had experienced here, by now Gabriella should have been able to believe anything. Including the fact that right now, her mother seemed to be on the other end of the phone, talking to her. "Gabriella? It's me, it's mom." _I don't believe it...has she found me here? How is this __happening?_ She almost began to believe that maybe her mother from _this _era had somehow, miraculously, tracked her down. Until she heard her next words:"Please keep fighting, Gabi. They want me to accept that you may never wake up, but I'm not ready to give up on you."

Her mother was speaking to her from another year, another _time. _A time that Gabriella had been taken from in the first place. She wanted to scream out, to tell her mother she was here, she was alive. But she knew she wouldn't be heard. She listened in silence as the voice spoke again. "I hope that wherever you are in your dreams, it's somewhere nice. When you're ready to come back to me, I'll be here." The line then went dead, just at the same moment that Gabriella replied softly, "I'll try..." Still clutching the phone's receiver, she found herself fixated on something else her mom had just said. _'I hope that wherever you are...it's somewhere nice.'_ She was somewhere nice. More than nice; it would have been perfect, if only she truly belonged there. She had even fallen in love. But was it fair for her to stay, knowing what her mother was going through? She wondered whether her desire to be with Troy was what was keeping her in that coma. If she had tried harder to get back home, would she be conscious there now?

These thoughts were no use to her now. She couldn't change the last few months. If, indeed, that was really the length of time that had passed in her reality. Besides, how exactly was she supposed to 'try', as she had just proclaimed to her unsuspecting mother? Then, as quickly as that question entered her head, an answer also came to her. "Gabriella?" called Anna, causing her to lose her train of thought. She quickly replaced the phone's receiver and walked away in search of her boss, telling herself to save this latest thought for later.

Anna asked her about the phone call, and Gabriella managed to claim that it had simply been a wrong number. With not much left to do in the way of cleaning up, the two quickly finished their last minute duties before swiftly locking up and going their separate ways home. Gabriella let herself into her apartment and flopped onto the couch, deep in thought. She had told Troy she would call him that evening, and ordinarily she would have been straight on the phone. But hearing her mother's voice again had re-awakened her initial desperation to get home. And now she had thought of something that may help her get there. At least it would if what she had seen on television was anything to go by.

She really didn't want to do this particular thing. But how could she just let go and leave her mother heartbroken, without even trying to get back? So now, having worked out that Scott had been the one to knock her down; Gabriella was considering seeking him out in this place. It seemed quite ludicrous to her that she was going to do something she had learnt by watching a fictional time-travel program. And even then, as she recalled, the plan to find the 'culprit' hadn't worked in sending the traveller home. But at least if she tried, it would be doing s_omething _towards getting herself home_. _She felt as though her reason for being sent here was to solve something; to confront Scott once and for all. Even the dream she had had of her grandfather had tried to alert her to it.

Gabriella's mind was made up now. She had to do this, for her mother more than anything else. In the next second, her cellphone began ringing, startling her slightly. After a few weeks of living here, she had gone out and bought the first one she could find. It had occurred to her at the time that she was just going to have to do her best to exist here like everyone else. She answered the call to be greeted by Troy's concerned voice, asking if she was okay, as it was unlike her not to call when she had said she would. "I'm fine Troy. Sorry, I did mean to call but I was exhausted, just had to sit down for a while," she told him apologetically. "Did you want to come over? That's if you're not too tired yourself, I know that was a tight deadline you had yourself there."

Gabriella was trying to sound cheerful, hoping that Troy would agree to come round. She needed to talk to him, and she didn't know what he was going to say when she explained herself. "I'm sure I'm no more tired than you are. I'll be there in a bit. See you soon," he replied, and they hung up. Soon enough, she heard a knock on the door and went to let him in. Troy greeted her with a soft kiss, and Gabriella let herself lean into his warm embrace for a few moments, although she didn't say a word. She just wanted to savour the one moment of the day when she felt completely safe and sure – because of him.

Troy held her tightly, but was worried about her. She still hadn't uttered a word since he arrived. "Baby? Hey, what is it, has something happened?" he asked, and Gabriella slowly lifted her head to look up at him. She knew that whatever his reaction, what she was about to say would mean things would have to change between them. "Yeah, it has," she began. "We had a last minute phone call at the shop...but it wasn't a customer on the other end. It was my mother's voice – she was telling me not to give up because...because..." Gabriella almost didn't want to finish that sentence. But she had to make it clear how important it was for her to do what she intended. "Because the doctors think she should let me go. That must mean they're talking about switching off my life support..." Troy immediately led her over to the couch to sit down, sensing that Gabriella was about to break down emotionally.

It wasn't so much the thought of dying that scared her. After all, she had been here all this time instead of feeling like she was in that coma; so would she even be able to physically experience dying? No, it was actually the thought of just giving up and leaving her mother that devastated her. Gabriella definitely wanted to live – it just seemed to her that she had to choose which reality to exist in. All these confusing notions got the better of her and she practically fell onto the couch next to Troy. Tears had begun to roll down her cheeks, and she closed her eyes as he gently cupped her face in his hands. "Oh baby...I wish I knew what to say, what to do," he said softly.

Gabriella shook her head in response. She wasn't finished yet. "I have to do something, Troy. I can't just leave my mom forever. And I think there's a reason I keep seeing Scott around. I feel like I'm supposed to do something about it; confront him, or stop him...I don't really know yet," she explained, knowing she was babbling. Troy had an incredulous look on his face, much like the one he had displayed when she had confessed where she was _really_ from. "What?" he asked, stunned. He couldn't believe that Gabriella would want to seek out the man who had tried to kill her. Even if the guy that lived _here_ hadn't actually done it yet.

She knew what he was thinking. But Gabriella couldn't let this lie; even though it would break her heart to give up on her and Troy. However, there was something else that she couldn't get out of her head after listening to her mother. And that something had planted a small seed of doubt in her mind about where she was.

**Please Review!** **Thanks :)**


	17. A Heartbreaking Choice

**Merry Christmas everyone! Here's an update for you all as a present lol :) The next chapter will be the last, so just to say thank you to all who have supported this story over the past couple of months! This is the longest story I've done so far. So to all my readers - I love reading your feedback; so whether you have reviewed before or not, please let me know what you think. Every review really makes my day! Without further ado, here it is, chapter seventeen :) **

Troy hadn't yet said anything else, and Gabriella couldn't bring herself to tell him what else she was thinking. It would be too hurtful. Because she was questioning something that until today, just happened to be the only thing keeping her sane. She was doubting their whole relationship. Not because of him. No, he was perfect; he always had been. But that was part of the issue. Her mother had claimed that Gabriella was 'dreaming' while in the coma. If that was true, then what did that say about her and Troy? That it was all a fantasy? A few months ago, she had begged for reassurance that it was real between them. All it had taken was one word from him to convince her. But now she wasn't so sure.

Finally she heard Troy take a deep breath, ready to speak again. "Why would you want to find him, after everything he's done to you?" Gabriella took his hands into hers and took a deep breath of her own. "I have to get home, somehow. And I know finding Scott sounds insane, but maybe I'm supposed to do that, even though the idea fills me with dread. There's got to be a connection here because he's the one that's caused all this. Honestly Troy: there's a part of me that wants to just stay here and be with you forever. But...my mom, my family – how can I give up on them when there might be something I can do about it?"

Thinking over what she had just said, Troy finally gave a small nod. "I understand. I know that being here has taken you away from everything you know. But if you're really going to look for him, then I'm coming with you." Gabriella wasn't expecting him to say that. But even though she was almost beginning to doubt his existence, she still needed him. She smiled gratefully at him – not just for the gesture, but also for his support. "Thank you. You...do know that I love you, don't you?" she asked, looking him in the eye. She meant the words with all of her heart. Whether this was real or not, Gabriella was still in love. She waited for an answer as Troy reached over and took both of her hands. "Of course I do. And I love you too, more than anything," he replied.

She closed her eyes, trying to make a memory of this moment. Then she tried to make herself snap out of it. She knew it was going to hurt immensely if she woke up back in two-thousand and ten to find that it really had been just a fantasy. Maybe she had dreamt him up; along with the idea of hearing her grandfather's voice. Even Scott appearing was likely, given how hard it was to forget all he had done to her in the past. Not to mention what he had done to send her here.

Troy had noticed Gabriella shaking her head, in an effort to ignore any forthcoming heartbreak. "Hey, what is it?" he asked, pulling her closer to him. She wiped away the few tears that had appeared in her eyes and shook her head again. "It's nothing, really. I'm fine," she lied. But he knew her better than that. "No, you're not. Come on, look at me," he whispered softly. "What is it?" Gabriella found herself looking into his eyes, which were willing her to open up to him. She loved those eyes. Not being able to see them every day seemed unimaginable.

"I was just thinking about what life would be like without you," she managed to tell him, before promptly bursting into tears – telling him all he needed to know on how she felt about the subject. Before she knew it, Troy had wrapped his arms around her, and was speaking softly to her as he stroked her hair. "Baby, listen to me. I can't imagine being with anyone else but you. And if I lose you here, now; then I promise that in five years time, where you belong – I'll be there. All you have to do is look for me, and I'll be waiting for you." Gabriella knew he meant what he was saying. It was the most touching statement anyone had ever given her. But all she could think of was this: _What if you're not there? What if you were never there? _She didn't know which realisation would be worse.

_**.HSM.**_

After falling asleep together on the couch – Gabriella curled comfortably into Troy's chest – the two awoke the next morning and immediately began looking up Scott's details. As much as she truly didn't want to see or speak to him again, Gabriella clung to thoughts of her mother; she _couldn't_ give up. Unfortunately, even armed with his surname, and the names of his parents; they couldn't find any trace of Scott in the phone books, or by calling information. The only thing she could think of was to go back to the places where she had encountered him. She remembered that the first time she had come across him here was near the library. As well as that there was the day they had both run into him outside Troy's building.

A few hours and questions later, she was still at a loss. She didn't know why she had thought anyone would be able to give her any information. For one thing, the library of course preached confidentiality. But even giving descriptions of Scott hadn't led to any identifications. It felt as if nobody else had ever seen him. Whenever she least expected it, there he was in front of her. But now that Gabriella actually _had _to find him; he seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth. She and Troy returned to her apartment, and silence filled the air as Gabriella thought things over. She was now sure that there was no use in continuing the search for her ex. But there was something else she could do. However, the very thought of it was worse than the concept of looking for Scott. And that was saying something.

"What are you thinking?" asked Troy as they sat down together. Gabriella didn't want to answer him. She was thinking about something that she had considered over after the 'phone call' with her mother. Was their relationship keeping her here? "I...I don't know how to say this. I don't want to say it, but..." she began anxiously. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze, urging her to continue. "I'm so sorry, Troy, but I just...I can't be with you right now. I have to find a way to get home, and time's running out for me; I can feel it. I love you _so_ much, I really do, but we just...we can't be together in this lifetime. I'm sorry..." She didn't look up at him, knowing that seeing his face would cause her heart to break. He seemed to have been rendered speechless anyway. Instead she closed her eyes, leaned over and quickly pecked his lips, before running out of the building and into the cold.

She didn't know what she was doing, where she was going now. She had just run out on the love of her life, leaving him sitting in what was supposed to be _her_ apartment. She didn't move for several minutes as it dawned on her that she may have just lost Troy forever. He had promised to wait for her in his future; her present. Would he even do that now, after what she had just done? Was he even real enough for that to be a possibility?

**One chapter left now, and the review button is calling out to you! Haha ;) Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. **

**Miss Romance-Lover **

**x**


	18. Always There

**So, finally this story has come to an end! This is the longest running story I have written so far, and I'm proud of how it's turned out. I never expected it to evolve as it did, and all your feedback has really helped me to keep it going, so thank you! I would also like to add that upon hitting 100 reviews after posting the last chapter, I was so excited that it suddenly inspired me to write the last chapter straight away. Although I knew how I was going to end it right from the beginning; I kept going back to tweak this chapter and add more, wanting to make it perfect! So, here it is, the longest and final chapter. Enjoy :)**

She stood there, trying to tear herself away from the building in which he sat. Finally she began to run, just as it started to rain. She didn't know where she was running to, but she didn't care. She didn't stop even when she thought she heard someone yelling in the distance. Then, finally, her legs could no longer carry her and she sank to the ground. The voice got closer and closer, and now she could make out what it was shouting. "Gabriella!" It was Troy. He had come after her. Had she really thought he wouldn't? "Gabriella! Wait, please just wait. Don't leave like this," he called as he reached her side. This was going to break her heart even more; but she had no choice _but _to wait. She had exhausted herself too much to run again.

"Troy, please don't do this. I don't want to leave you, but I have to," she exclaimed desperately. "This is just going to make it too hard." He crouched down in front of her and gently lifted her chin with his hand, making her look at him. "I know. I know you're just doing what you have to; and I know it hurts. But I couldn't leave things like that. I have to say goodbye the right way," he replied, moving his hand to softly caress her cheek. "I can't let you go without saying this." Gabriella didn't move or say a word. She had to hear him out. Something in his tone told her that he _needed _to say this.

"I told you that I'll wait for you, and I meant it. Gabriella, you will see me again, I promise. And when we find each other, I'm going to ask you a question," he said sincerely. The rain was coming down heavily now, soaking them both almost to their skins. But neither one of them cared about that. She just couldn't bear to think of what he had just said. She wanted it, more than anything; but imagining that it could actually happen was too much for her. Because if she had that hope, and then it didn't happen; she would be devastated. She felt tears come to her eyes, although she doubted whether Troy would be able to tell, given the rain that was still falling. She made herself stand weakly, turning away from him reluctantly. But Troy moved to stand in front of her.

"I'm going to ask you to marry me one day," he breathed out as their foreheads touched. Suddenly in that one statement, Gabriella felt her doubts wash away. He was cradling her face in his hands, and she put her hand to his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat. This had to be real; she couldn't possibly imagine a moment this beautiful. She _had _to believe she would see him again. "And I'll say yes," she whispered clearly. Then she turned away again, this time slowly walking into the distance. She knew he wouldn't stop her this time. She had given him something to wait for. Gathering some strength, she started up another run. And again, she had no plan as to where she was heading.

She reached an empty road and prepared to sprint across it. She got about halfway across when she spotted a car in the distance. Unlike last time, she had seen this vehicle in plenty of time to get herself out of harm's way. But she didn't make that choice. Squeezing her eyes tight shut, Gabriella waited. And waited. Time seemed to be at a standstill. Then she heard the roar of an engine as the car got closer to her. But when it finally reached her, there was no pain, no flying through the air. Just sudden darkness. She felt nothing. She didn't even feel as though she had moved.

_**.HSM.**_

She didn't know where she was, but she felt the strong need to open her eyes, even though it seemed that only moments ago, she had been plunged into darkness. Slowly, she opened them, blinking a few times as the bright daylight hit her instantly. Staring straight ahead, she saw white walls and a window facing her. Then, the sound of loud, clattering footsteps was brought to her ears, and she knew that someone was coming towards her. But it was only when she heard a loving, female voice that she really knew where she was. "Gabi! Oh my...you're awake, you're still with us. Oh, my Gabriella," sobbed her mother. She was back; she was home.

She watched as her mother ran to call a doctor. Before she knew it, she was surrounded by two of them, plus three female nurses. They all stood in front of her, claiming that some kind of miracle must have taken place. Maria Montez sat by her daughter's side, clutching her hand. She was babbling herself, telling Gabriella how everyone else had given up hope already. It seemed the poor woman was still in shock, especially considering the fact that she could have been persuaded to give up too. If the doctors had managed to convince her to turn off her life support machine, she would never have forgiven herself.

Finally, everyone left them alone. Gabriella managed to sit up in her bed, and she took her mother's hand. "Mom," she croaked out quietly. "Thank you for never giving up on me." She had never been so glad to see her mother than she was right now. Maria simply bowed her head, holding her daughter's hand to her heart – as if telling herself never to forget these past few moments in which Gabriella had 'come back to life'.

As she watched her mother struggle to keep her emotions in check, there was something else Gabriella was feeling glad about. She remembered everything she had experienced whilst her body had been in that coma. Troy had not been wiped from her memory. She knew that perhaps it might have been easier for her to cope if she _had _forgotten it all; forgotten him.But then she wouldn't have been able to recall how amazing it had felt. She now knew she had never really been in love before – nothing she had ever experienced in her own time even matched up to what she had had with Troy. Seeing her mom's display of unwavering love for her reminded her of how emotional, how loving Troy had been with her the day she had collapsed. He had shown her unconditional love. Only time would tell whether their promises to each other could be kept. She refused to believe that their love hadn't been real.

_**.HSM.**_

"Doctor Bolton?" said a voice just as Troy was walking into his department. He instantly looked up at his colleague, thinking how nice it would be to one day get in the door without being accosted immediately. "Hi, Dr Adams, what can I do for you?" he greeted pleasantly. Dr Adams had a small smile on his face as he got ready to deliver some news. "Well, you remember that girl you were asking about? The one who has been in a coma for months?" he asked casually. Troy froze. Suddenly he felt as though he could barely breathe. He managed a small nod, silently willing his colleague to continue.

"She woke up this morning. Going to be fine, so they say," the man explained. Troy was stunned. Stunned and overwhelmed. He had been waiting for this day for five years. When Gabriella had first been brought to the hospital a few months back, he had heard her name being given, her description. Everyday he had prayed that she would wake up. He had never seen her again after that day in the rain, and he had hoped it was a sign that she would fight her way back to life. He had waited for her, just like he promised. Although, he hadn't shared any of this with his friends, family or colleagues. He had never tried to look for Gabriella in the time that had passed, either. She wouldn't have known who he was until now; and he had always told himself that it would be far better to wait until the day she came back to him, than to find her before their time. And as far as Dr Adams knew, he was simply enquiring about a patient with an interesting case.

Of course, after Gabriella had 'left' back in two-thousand and five, Anna had asked questions. Troy had told their manager that things just hadn't worked out, and that her reason for leaving without explanation was due to urgent family commitments. It wouldn't have been a good idea to try and reveal the truth to her. Anna was as sceptical as one could get. Troy still kept in touch with her, even after qualifying as a doctor, which had led to him leaving the coffee shop.

"Dr Bolton?" his colleague asked, and Troy realised that he hadn't yet moved, or even uttered a word in response. "Oh, I...sorry, well that's great news, I bet her family are relieved as anything," he replied, trying to sound normal. If Dr Adams noticed the strange nature of Troy's reaction, he didn't let on. Instead, he mumbled back, "indeed," then got back to his paperwork. To him, it was just another patient who had had a lucky escape. To Troy, it was his whole world.

Troy knew which department Gabriella was being cared for in. It was nowhere near his own. He knew that if he went to find her, he would not be questioned about it, given his job title - and he was desperate to get to her. But he was supposed to be working right now. He hated to ask this of someone; he never slacked off. But this was the most important thing he was ever going to do. "Hey, Dr Adams?" he called. He was going to see if his colleague would cover for him. He was sure the man would agree. Troy had actually helped him out several times in the past, so it was only fair to be granted a favour in return.

_**.HSM.**_

It had now been quite a few hours since Gabriella had awoken. She had had several tests, and the results were that she was going to be perfectly fine, and would make a good recovery. She had escaped any serious head injuries, despite her recollection of those terrible throbbing headaches. She wasn't paralysed in any way either. It would just take her some time to build up the strength to get up and about again. It felt so surreal for her to be back in this life again. The police had also been by, and it turned out that there had been enough witnesses to form a detailed description of both the car and the driver. It was Scott. Gabriella was able to confirm his identity herself, and she even gave a statement. Finally she had been reassured that he was already in custody, and would most definitely be convicted for a very long time.

The relief she felt at hearing this was immense. Also, now she knew that it had been a waste of time trying to find him in two-thousand and five. He had already been caught here, even without her contribution. All she could think was that the reason nobody had been able to help her in locating him before was because she didn't need to find him; wasn't _meant _to find him. She never had been.

After all the goings on of the morning, Gabriella's mother (along with the rest of her family and friends who had turned up to see her) left her room to go down to the hospital canteen. Maria had not been keen on leaving her alone, but Gabriella had insisted that she would be fine and would only be sleeping anyway. As well as that, she knew that her mother probably hadn't been eating much, so she ordered her to get herself some food.

She had been dozing on and off for about half an hour when she realised that she could hear movement right outside her hospital room. She turned over so she was facing the door, and waited, convinced that someone was about to come in. And they did. The joy Gabriella felt as her eyes connected with the man who walked in at that moment was indescribable. This feeling grew even stronger when he began to speak to her.

"Gabriella...it's...it's really you," Troy whispered, tears falling down his cheeks. His face showed joy, love, and worry – as if he thought that there was a chance she would not know who he was. "Troy," she breathed out softly, wishing she was strong enough to go to him. But she didn't have to be. As soon as she uttered his name, he rushed towards her, kneeling down in front of her bed on the hard marble floor. He took both of her hands in his, his eyes never leaving hers. Tears were now coating her face too, but they continued in what they were doing, just looking at each other. Studying every inch of each other's faces. For Troy, it had been a long and lonely wait for the love of his life. For Gabriella, only hours had passed since she had seen him. But she had spent those hours fearing that she may never see him again.

"I love you, Troy," she choked out, as if she would never have another chance to say it. But she would be able to say it for the rest of her life, because Troy had no intention of ever leaving her side again. He reached up to stroke the side of her face. "I love you too baby," he replied, "so much." He got up and sat himself in the chair next to the bed, his hands still linked with hers. Gabriella's face suddenly lit up even more as something else came to her mind. "You waited for me," she whispered in awe.

"I never stopped," he told her without hesitation. Then he leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. It was a kiss filled with love, emotion, happiness and passion. When they finally pulled back, Troy slowly reached into his pockets for something, although he didn't show her right away what he had retrieved. Closing his hand over the small item and holding it in his lap, he cleared his throat, attempting to collect himself after all those tears that had come when he had first entered the room. "The last thing I said to you before you left was that I was going to ask you something one day," he told her. Carefully he lifted his hand up in front of him and held up the square box. "And I meant every word. I'm never going to lose you again." Opening the box, Troy watched as Gabriella gasped at the appearance of the most beautiful ring she had ever seen.

Preparing to ask a question he had been ready to ask for the past five years, Troy smiled as he spoke. "I bought this before you left. I've been carrying it with me ever since because I could never part with it. Now I finally get to use it. Gabriella," he said softly, taking a deep, meaningful breath before he got to the big question. "Will you marry me?"

Gabriella nodded without a single second of doubt entering her mind. She would have screamed her answer if it weren't for the fact that she couldn't seem to find any words. So instead she used all the strength she could gather to pick herself up off the bed and launch into his arms. He caught her easily, knowing that this was the happiest he had ever felt. He breathed in her scent, having to keep reminding himself that she was really there. They stayed like that, Troy holding her in his arms while still clutching the ring which sat securely in its box. He couldn't wait to put it on her finger.

And as Gabriella leaned against him, feeling safe in his warm embrace, she realised a few things. One was that there was going to be a lot of explaining to do to her family, who would no doubt be thoroughly confused over her sudden engagement to a man they had never even heard about. The other thought hit her so clearly that she wondered why she hadn't figured it out before. There was only one reason why she had been 'sent' to two-thousand and five. It was so she could be brought to Troy. Or so that Troy could be brought to her. It was the only thing her grandfather had meant when he had told her that the reason was right in front of her.

Because Troy had been right there with her ever since the accident. And now she knew, as he placed another soft kiss on her lips, that he always would be.

**And so we have reached the end! I am thinking of writing a one-shot as an add on to this story, showing what happens after Troy and Gabriella's engagement; as well as her family's reactions to it. I'm not sure when I'll get round to that, but please let me know what you think! Thanks for the support with this story, and as always: **

**Please Review! :)**


	19. AUTHOR'S NOTE

**Author's Note**

**Hi again! I would just like to say how much it made my day when I posted the final chapter to this story and received eight reviews before the night ended; then woke up the next morning to find I had seven more! That was a record - I have never had that many reviews for one chapter before! Each and every one of your comments made me smile, so thank you all :)**

**I will definitely be doing that one-shot for you - hopefully it will be finished and up by next week. I'm so happy that you liked the story as it was very different to the others that I have written. Anyway, thanks again for reading, and look out for an update sometime soon!**

**Miss Romance-Lover**

**x **


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